A picture of shards
by dragonsire13
Summary: What if the Valar messed up while throwing Morgoth out in the void? What if they care much less about people than they want everyone to believe and what happens if their mistakes come back to bite them where it really hurts? Set long after Morgoth and Saurons punishment to the void in the modern world. At least that is how it all starts :) Reviews would be appreciated...
1. Chapter 1 Introduction

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me besides my oc's and the cracked storyline everythingelse belongs to its rightful owners and I don't earn anything with it ^^.

Note: This is my first story and I hope you will enjoy it. Please forgive me my mistakes with grammar and spelling but in lack of a beta reader its the best I'm able to do... Have fun!

Content: Cathy gets involved in some fate changing plans. Main chars are Cathy, Sauron and Morgoth,

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**A picture of shards**

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Chapter 1 Introduction

Hello my name is Cathy, no its Catharine Midway… but never mind that, because I don't. Everyone that I like, calls me Cathy and please as I want you to be someone who I'm able to like… please call my Cathy too. Why would I want to like you? It's a good Question, the answer is possible because there are already so many people I dislike, that I would really prefer to have some more on the other side of the scale…

The problem is not that I dislike people in general but that people in general dislike me and that I'm not able to like someone who feels nothing but hate for me. You may ask yourself what the hell is going on there. Why would people simply hate someone in general? Yes you know that's a very good question and one that I have no answer for. Because the bad circumstances that caused the start of this all, can't really explain everything and especially not the medieval witch hunt that my family and I had to suffer through, when I was nothing more than five years old. Ok maybe I was nearly six but that's beside the point. The point is, how is it possible that you can endure something like that in the 21. Century, where everyone likes to believe themselves as educated and reasonable people? That's a question that has to go without an answer too….

In the beginning I guess there should be explained that I'm the victim of a curse… it runs in the maternal line of the family and skips most of the time at least one generation. As always in life I get the bad hand, so my grandmother suffered from the curse and my mother got spared. Mum and Dad always hoped for a boy to be safe or if it had to be a girl that it would skip another generation but it didn't. The curse in itself is nothing you can see, it's nothing that affects the body but it affects the heart. To explain that better I should tell you something of my grandmother's life… she was a happy child but then the Second World War started. You may think that that is terrible but there where so many people affected by it and you can't claim them all as cursed. Yes that is true but it's not about what the curse is doing at one point but how it affects your life in general. People who aren't cursed by it are able to find happiness in life even if they suffered through something terrible. My granny not only lost all of her siblings to the war, she also got mistreated by her husband and shunned by her son. My mom never closed the link between them as harshly as my uncle did but they never saw each other as often as my granny and I would have liked.

My uncle wanted to flee the curse and burned all bridges behind him, I never met him ones in my life. And honestly think about me what you want but there are times in my life when I hope that the next cursed person is one of his children… But there is always just one cursed alive, only after my death the next person in line will be affected. That is one of the more illogical signs of that curse that no one can explain and please believe me my parents tried everything possible to explain this curse. My mum was a popular researcher in the brand new field of genetics and my dad studied medicine and was one of the best neurologists out there. Both of them dedicated their lives to find the origin of the curse and to eliminate it. While I grew up in the village with my granny, my parents worked for a side branch of the independent research facility in Switzerland known as CERN. Yes believe it or not they do more than to look at microscopic particles and try to create a black hole.

My parents never found a solution to the curse the just found more clues that didn't fit. If it was an illness that specifically just affects females, why did it skip generations? Was it one of that genetic defects that shows up not every time but only sometimes… but why the hell does it show so regularly if we never (and my family really didn't) intermarry inside the family? With my family it was more the thing that they had to travel a lot throughout the countries as they were never long accepted in a community so our genes mixed with a lot of different people and it is highly impossible to have enough of the bad genes inside us, that it shows nearly every second generation. What caused my mother's resignation, in the last months before she died in a car crash, was the moment of passing on the curse. She studied all recorded cases and came to the conclusion that a cursed person never, in not one singular case, showed a sign of ill fate, before the death of the last cursed person was done and over with. It meant that the next person who got affected could be in any age range, it didn't just affect kids it could also start to show up if the person is fifty or something...

I am able to second her findings at least within my own experiences, because even living with my granny never caused any trouble for me. I had a happy life in that village. It included neighbor's kids who were all my friends and long funny adventures in the nearby wood with all our secret places and streamlets. Everything just changed the moment my granny died… It's one of my worst memories from the beginning of the mourning ceremony, where you could feel the happiness of all inhabitants of the village, about the fact that the old witch was finally gone and not one day to early, to the point when that woman appeared. You know I never even gave a laugh for old witch stories where kids got eaten and things like that. But the moment that woman appeared at the graveyard where we wanted to put granny to her last rest, I was never so scared in my whole live. She wore a kind of cloak that hooded her face so you could only see that gleaming eyes… I will never forget those eyes ever… One was yellow nearly golden in a way that you would never mistake it for a kind of light brown and the other eye was one of the most intense blue I ever came across.

Until that day I loved the blue cloudless sky, now I always feel naked and exposed while walking in the bright sunshine. I always feel watched and tainted by the words of that old hag.

"Beware this child that will carry the curse next, because if she remains here free and unsupervised she will bring death to every single person of this community" her voice was raspy but clearly that of a woman and before anyone had processed what she said she had left again.

First there was silence and then the rage began. People pointed at the small girl and screamed they wanted her gone.

"She lived with that witch take her away, we don't want her here."

What hurt Cathy the most was that her friends, the ones who played with her, the ones who knew her secrets where the ones who screamed too. Cathy started crying and turned around to her mum who had put her hands comfortingly on her shoulders the whole day. She put her small arms around her mum's feet and sobbed. She had loved her granny because the old women smiled for her even though her live was not a happy one and now she saw how much the others hated her granny and her for something she had never done. Her daddy took her and cradled her in his arms and the small family left, forever or so they thought.

Yeah they only send a estate agent and had granny's house and land sold. They hadn't the intention to face that small minded people who would abandon a peaceful long year member of their village and an innocent kid, because of the gibbering of that old hag and her highly suspicious appearance.

The grounds of the apartments around a research facility aren't the happiest place for growing children as they normally only house employees, but it was better than a hating environment. Cathy was ok with her situation she had no friends her age but after the betrayal of the others she didn't care and she used her time for studying. She had a fair amount of her parent's colleges that she liked and that liked her and she felt save in that community of people who dedicated their lives to facts and basic human rights and the law of reason. She met children at her school but she remained friendly distant. She simply hadn't much to talk about with them as she didn't care for boys and the newest lipstick. Probably that came from the fact that she preferred asking her parent's friends about antimatter and the nagging question if there could be a universe made of the opposites of their own. One day she even discussed the question if such opposites where sole restricted to things at the size of atoms, or if laws like gravity would work different too? Has antimatter gravity or antigravity?

She tried to not nag the people to death with her curios question, really she tried. But in her young years Cathy developed an undying believe in science and logical processes and would have gone on warpath if anyone had questioned the strict laws on how this planet had to work. She was not a prodigy or anything but hard work and determination to proof herself worthy to live and no just being a bother to her parents, enabled her to skip two years of coursework and granted her a stipendium. Some of the facility heads had already stretched some helping hands in her direction in hope of winning a gifted addition to their team. Even though her parents never solved the curse problem they developed treatments for illnesses and gained a high pile on useful knowledge in their fields that helped many others. With other words they were respected and very popular and with them so was Cathy. Not that she wanted fame but she was clever enough to not turn away some help when it showed up alongside the path.

She really believed that they had somehow tricked the curse or that she wasn't the target of fates wraith anymore. Cathy believed herself save as she was surrounded by people who saw her for what she was and what she earned herself and not some hear saying about her. That ended abruptly on her sixteenth birthday, the day when fate finally found her and got back on her for vanishing with full force. It was January the fifth and weather prognosis warned that a lot of snow would fall in the next three days. Cathy told her mum to not come back from her meeting in oversea, that they could delay the party for a week. It just was a knot of things going bad. The international yearly gathering of how Cathy put it, her mums species, was set on a date close to her birthday and her dad was not available either, he was stuck with some very complicated cases and slept in his small room in the hospital. But Cathy should have known that her own stubbornness was that bad that it was because of being fueled not just by one parent but by the two of them equally.

Let's just say that year there never was a party. First it was because her mother was going missing, her plane arrived on time but she never made it home. It took several days in the unearthly weather for the officer to arrive and inform her of the deadly accident. The taxi driver collided with another car and all five people involved died. In the other car was a mother with two small children who didn't make it out either. But it wasn't bad enough that Cathy got the message stuck alone in the flat while her dad couldn't leave the hospital, no the next time he called her, she was informed that he would be questioned by the court for killing one of his patients. It happened that the police informed her father in-between the break of a difficult operation and my father was shocked, but he couldn't stop as the women laid there with her head open and he had no one to take over for him. So he tried to finish his work but the woman didn't survive his afford.

Her father never made it to the court hearing because the woman had a husband who thought her father guilty and shot him while entering the court building. Cathy never spoke of that time, to no one. No one did anything to stop her when she quit the flat and signed out of the university. She had the intention to never finish her studies of quantum physics and used the money of her family to travel the world for a year. It took her long enough coming to terms with what happened and it was not until the moment of sitting in a small café and drinking an espresso in rom when she got to the decision to study history and mystic in combination with some languages that interested her. Cathy's parents published enough that she could successfully live of the monthly payments and it was high time that her curse came to an end. She was not willingly to think about it as an illness any longer, it was what the people always titled it, a curse and as the solution didn't lay in science maybe it lay in their family history.

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Hope you liked the first chapter as the story follows the events from Cathy's point of view it will take some time to lay out all puzzle pieces before I can really speed up the plot... please be patient with me and drop a short feedback to tell me what you think about the story so far...

bye until next time :)


	2. Chapter 2 the letter

Disclaimer: Nothing mine, only my oc's and the madness belongs to me and that's nothing you could get money with. Everything recognizable belongs to its rightful owners.

Welcome to the second part and I hope you will have fun... this time we start with the mystery xD:

(have fun)

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Chapter 2 the letter

Twenty was an age that really felt good, it was just the beginning of the time when others stop seeing the child, the girl, the orphan or the prodigy, and it's the time when people start seeing the adult and the woman. Yes Cathy considered herself the closest to happy that she ever got since that time… the time of her parents deaths. Following through with her plan of dropping quantum physics in favor of history made people look at her questionably but she couldn't care less. She even found a brilliant job that kept her mind busy and that she considered enough fun to actually keep it. Besides it kept her close to all resources she needed for her own research.

Switzerland was famous for their banking system and if you wanted money you would be wise to start there as lawyer for financial cases and if you are clever you start doing all the international business. Cathy never needed money and she would had never fought that she would end up in a place to sort through, how to call it best valuable contents in the safekeeping of glorious lovely neutral Switzerland. You may ask: How did she get there? Despite of all the scientists efforts life never follows reason or logic it just does what it f… wants to do. It happened that after finishing her study, she had one of her parent's old friends on the phone who tried to look out for her a bit. Shortly after that she was safely stored in a job as independent expert on history and got consulted from that highly renowned law firm. Hawford&Maigon had a long history and a much entangled one with the various banks and credit firms. In fact whenever problems arise concerning international interference in their system it would be handed to this old and established firm.

Her department worked with everything of value that was more difficult to handle than money. Most of the time Cathy was caught up in background research for pictures or other artworks and artifacts. During the Second World War there where many dislocations and shifting's of some of the most valuable historical heritages and not few of them found their way in and out of a particular country… Who has rightful claim to the stuff? What history has that particular painting? Does it have a hidden history? Is it fake or the original one? All of this questions where the working reality which Cathy sorted through. There were also smaller cases of finding the true origin of a valued family heirloom without fighting party's just for the sake of curiosity, that where the cases that she preferred. Only rich clients could afford of hiring an independent researcher that mostly does business with Hawford&Maigon and those background researches always included personal visits to get the background information's on the families. It's the times when she really gets in contact with people their live stories and experiences that interests the young woman.

Sometimes her cases got a bit dubious and her colleges started to make a bit fun of her. She loved them especially as they were all close to each other, following an, us against the lawyer snob's, mentality; she just really hated the nick name "Ghostbuster Cathy"….. No truth was she loathed it. But she couldn't be seriously angry with her colleges as some of the stuff that sat on her working desk was a bit grotesque especially concerning some cursed long case clocks from dead great-grandfathers and such. Some of those more special missions of her sounded like a good adventure in the beginning but turned out as a disappointment. Up to this moment in her live, Cathy never encountered anything as real as her own curse. In the end it got really bad with the teasing when she returned from an old estate, where she found instead of a haunting ghost a teenager boy who established a midnight light show as kind of prank. The only bright side of that story was that her report stopped the selling of the property to an inadequate prize because of being marked as "haunted".

So in fact as Cathy arrived at her office that morning with a steaming coffee in her left hand and the enormous post package in the other she was not concerned to find an unusual letter on the top of her desk. She may have been wondering as to why someone would place an opened letter there or why someone opened her mail, as the letter clearly wasn't there the evening before when she left but she wouldn't have been right out concerned. After first reading the elegant handwriting and still processing the content Cathy got confused. The message seemed to be private not for business even though it was speaking of a kind of contract. So she decided to do the only plausible thing in that case and that was to sit down and enjoy her coffee. She put the letter on a side board and started her work, mostly finishing the paper work on some closed cases. At the time she kidnapped her friend Sally from the neighbor office, so they could find a nice place to eat something, she had completely forgotten about that strange piece of paper.

Only at the time she started to file and archive everything she needn't anymore she came across the written words again. The first thing that drew her attention first this time was that it was written on kind of old paper of yellow grayish and that was different in its making to all the other papers around that place. So this time around she actually decided to pay some more thought to it and sat down again rereading the words:

_Dear Ms. Midway,_

_This letter reaches you in the hope that you will keep your promise and meet with me as we agreed to do so fifteen years ago. I would appreciate your arrival at the twentieth march at 16pm at the place of our initial meeting. It's my understanding that you may think that promise was given a too long time ago and not worth keeping but before you decline, you may consider that I offer you information concerning your private project, that seems stagnating due to the lack of sources in all library's throughout Europe as you already saw for yourself._

_In hope you are well,_

_a friend._

Cathy was puzzled that was a bad joke, bad in the sense of a prank not well thought of. If it was an idea of her colleges to set her of on a fake mission it lacked all sorts of information. Who was she to meet? Where should the meeting happening? And it only could be her colleges; they were the only ones who knew that she searched for more than only information's on her actual projects. After rereading the letter three times something made her nervous, she had spoken to no one about her family or her curse none of her parents colleges had known either they had always made sure that no one knows. How would someone know about what happened fifteen years ago? Or was it just a bait to lure her to a wrong conclusion, maybe it was just a good guess from some of the trickster. Maybe they thought it had to do something with her past because she never spoke about it…

But even though Cathy wouldn't admit it to anyone something had hooked her. It was the possibility of gaining some answers at last. She read it again and stumbled over something that she had ignored before. What did it mean they met fifteen years ago? That was the time when she was… when it happened, the woman, the graveyard. Fifteen years ago she was five it was before her granny died. It couldn't be true… she was a kid even if she made a promise to someone who could seriously believe that it would be remembered, it was just ridiculous but then wasn't being cursed laughable too?

So it happened that Cathy sat in her office long after the last one left the building and pondered over a letter without addressor, written based on clues without facts beside the date and time of the meeting, spiced with some treats of promising answers for the riddle of her live "the curse" and finally signed by a name she couldn't remember of having ever heard of. In other words she was absolutely stupid of even considering that real and not a cruel joke. It was just, that the writer was right, she hasn't found a single clue of that curse not during her study and not during her researches and she had access to a lot of sources trough Europe. She had listed all her family movements throughout history as far back as she could and that was further than anyone could say from themselves because the fact that they had to travel so often and leave their homes behind made her family write journals, journals that are still kept in the family. And her history was in fact a journey throughout Europe and often ended somewhere in a convent for the cursed family member or in a witch burning… there was never much understanding.

Nothing of her research gave her a clue, where did the curse first come from or what caused it. The only thing she was able to proof was that there was a curse and that is traceable throughout their history without failing like cruel clockwork. Who would know something? Cathy couldn't think of a reason why anyone would know more about it than her or her parents, except for someone of a side branch of the family who maybe researched it too and was more successful. Maybe she met that person at her granny's house all that years ago? And now they wanted to speak to her about adult stuff that Cathy was too small for, the first time around? Or maybe one of the village people had observed something and found courage to speak about it after fifteen years without her killing all inhabitants there?

Her interest was piqued and she would find out what was going on. Yes she needed a flight and a car. So she was heading back to the place she hoped she had to never see again…

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There we go... you are close... just hold out a bit longer...

Please also use the time to give me some feedback :)


	3. Chapter 3 arrival

**Hello to everyone who got this far :) thx for reading and I hope you find a few things to enjoy. **

**Ok disclaimer: only my oc's are mine everything about lord of the rings belongs only to Tolkien, this is all about good fun and I really don't earn anything with it.**

**To my readers: I apologize for taking so long to get the plot rolling but it took me longer to set up all the tiny bits of information I needed inside the story, then i thought. I can tell that with chapter 4 there will be all chars introduced that this is about. I won't spoil your fun but maybe you see more about the spirit folk in the next chaps then you ever wanted too xD.**

**Therefore enjoy my ever so patient readers...**

**To some helpful soul: I would enjoy help from someone who would do the beta work to this story (blink blink please)**

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**Chapter 3 arrival**

There it was… that vile place of her childhood nightmares. Cathy swallowed the bitter taste that came with the thought of how the bad experiences destroyed all the happy memories with her granny which she had from this place. Cathy took a deep breath while looking at the road that led her mercilessly to the old village. Its layout was in between three mountains, you could only reach that place from the road she came from it was a dead-end in all ways of its meaning.

After a boring flight that wasn't bothered by anything, besides the nagging feeling of being stupid and the thought race in her head, she finally rented a car and made her way back to "that" with "that people". Her mind hadn't found any sort of peace all the way here. Cathy was plagued by questions. How could she really believe that was a serious letter? If it was, how could she even think, that the person knew something important? Why didn't she remember promising anything to anyone? Who was behind this? How did they know about her research? How did they know where to find her? Why couldn't they meet anywhere else? Why meeting after fifteen years? And so on and so on. Cathy reached finally the sign that marked the beginning of the village and she stopped her mind as it reached the question: Why the hell am I even here?

It was evening and it was the nineteenth march and she intended to get a room in the old inn near the main street. But something seemed a bit odd. Yes, it was evening and the sun long vanished behind the mountaintops but that was no excuse for an empty village… Ok, maybe most of the people would have already retired to their homes and family's but not everyone… There should always be someone to walk around. Cathy slowed down, so that she wouldn't miss the right building. Left of her she saw the old buildings that she knew once very well, but they looked downtrodden and in need of reparation. Overall the view had altered was once was a neat small village full of hardworking people, looked now like it was left at times mercy for ages. She barely recognized the place of her early childhood.

There was enough space to safely park the car nearby the inn that she had searched for. With a bad feeling of foreboding she faced the entrance and made her way to the old door. Cathy used the bell and hoped that someone would answer, as the next place where someone could get a room was two villages away and she had no intention to drive that far… she needed the time to find out who she was to meet at the next day and where. The woman waited for ten minutes before giving up and returning to her car, something was very odd at that place… maybe she could find the old restaurant near the church and ask around a bit. She would have to be careful as no one would like to see her again if they would recognize her; she needed a good plan on how exactly she could get some information.

Maybe she could be a local reporter, writing for a tiny paper that no one reads or shows interest in… If she remembered right there was a young man writing an article about some sport star who originated from this area. A small article about the background and family, nothing important but the paper he wrote it for was called… hmh… "CountryReport", or something like that. It wasn't much work to google the local papers and find out that the one with the smallest readership was called "CountryReview" and that they were still active but mostly three or four villages away from Cathy's current station. She found it perfect, even though reporters aren't well liked anywhere at the globe, they are well more liked than her. With that plan in mind she made her way in direction of the church tower that could be seen from every point in the village.

An empty street, closed shops some of them with broken windows and no people to see. Cathy felt nervous, what was this? Before she reached the decision to return and leave forever, dropping this idiotic business at once, she suddenly heard music. And finally behind the next corner she found the restaurant she had searched for. In need of something to eat and a good drink or two she went on. Closing up to the glass front she could see three old men at the bar and a slightly younger one mixing some drinks. There was woman too looking bored. Cathy decided to enter and was met by curious and slightly suspicious looks.

"Evening to everyone, what's the chance of getting a meal and some fine drinks?" Cathy asked while swallowing her own nervousness.

The woman smiled back at her. "Depends on what you look for, our drinks are slightly better than the food but I can always get you a toast."

As Cathy hadn't eaten a thing today, she said yes to toast and looked hopeful to the bar where she found one or two good whiskeys and ordered one too. While waiting she grabbed the last bar stool, never bothering with one of the tables. Meanwhile none of the men had stopped eying her upside down and she was glad that her appearance had changed a lot since her first time here. With her normally brown hair dyed black and her childhood blue eyes turning grass-green while growing up, she was positive that no one would recognize her. On the other side, she had recognized the guests. Furthest away from her sat the old grocer and next to him granny's hairdresser and the last one was the shop keeper who sold souvenirs to the tourists.

After finishing the toast which tasted better than Cathy suspected, she started a friendly chatting with Andy and Rose the two owners of the bar. They even warmed up to her after she didn't seem to hurt or rob someone; they told her a lot of what happened in the last fifteen years. Cathy just listened never telling about herself or something and not probing for specific information, she just listened. It just seemed that Rose had needed someone to tell her sorrows to, for a long time, as she started her rant she didn't stop for hours. She spoke of the leaving of the people because there were no jobs, shortly after Andy and she had started with the bar. They did well enough for the first years but then a shadow appeared and people got scared, some of the older ones thought it had to do with the prediction and everyone that wasn't bound to the village by some duty, started a new life somewhere else, they had to nearly close the bar, if it wasn't for an big wellness hotel opening up at some alp close by. It had brought them enough tourists to survive but in the last years the visitors became less and less and with ending of that season they would close too and leave that hell hole behind. Cathy just nodded and tried to look comfortingly. She really wanted to know more about the shadow but she also was scared that if she drew too much intention to herself, that Rose would be reminded of the fact that she spoke about sensible information to a complete stranger.

Rose brought them another round of drinks it was the third one that Cathy got on the house. And with the warm and dizzy feeling that came from the alcohol she forgot about her sorrows and started to tell them that she got invited to the village by some client but that it seemed that someone just pulled a huge joke on her. Rose looked at her pitying but asked what she normally worked. Cathy was scared by her nearly slip and caught her just in time so she could stick with her cover.

"You know it's nothing important or fancy I just write tiny and boring articles about just really boring things." Rose started laughing at this and more so when she told her for which paper she worked and she agreed that someone had fooled her, because the only interesting thing around here was the curse, but every paper had declined writing about it because the thought it was nothing that would fit in this century. Now it was for Cathy to start laughing and explained some of her researches on gardening tools and which companies sold their stuff for oversized prizes and how anyone could believe that more important or fitting. At this point the whole room laughed even the weary old men. Finally Cathy had caught them because now they started on telling some nice stories about the growing shadow somewhere in the canyon behind the village.

That where stories about some climbers going missing in between the mountains, the appearance of odd people asking for the cursed witch and some really bad illnesses during the wintertime's. Rose told her that the odd people would appear yearly about this time before spring starts and that's why they first looked so weary at me. I just smiled and said that maybe someone thought that I should write about this yearly visitor and that's why they send me here… Rose just shook her head and told her to better stay away, as they had an unfriendly feeling about them.

"Bad enough that we have to endure them, there is no reason why you should get entangled with this, especially as the paper you work for can't pay you enough for taking such a risk. No really you should return home first thing in the morning but I guess it is better that I prepare our guest room for you? It's not expensive and I don't believe you have another option, because you won't drive anymore tonight."

Cathy agreed, she finished her drink and followed her through the back door and upstairs, where the couple lived. She paid a much to low prize for the food, drinks, room and a breakfast in the morning. Andy accompanied her to her car to get her bag where she stored some clothes and shortly after that she was in her room sleeping not as good as she was used too, because there were still thoughts of shadows and odd people haunted through her overused brain.

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Ok I promise that you meet Sauron in the next chapter... if you have the courage to read it...

As there was still no feedback I have to assume that everything I do is so amazing that you don't have any wishes left.


	4. Chapter 4 meeting

Disclaimer: only my oc's are mine, everything else belongs to their rightful owners, this is for fun, nothing is earned with it.

So hi again :) Now it gets really started and after that i can promise that things speed up and finally yes the action will come too.

I just wanted to clear up some things ahead and hope that no one gets confused by it. I don't use the names Sauron and Morgoth normally as they are foul names given to the spirits by their enemies (elves) and I don't believe they would call themselves that, therefore Sauron goes by the name Mairon i like that name and borrowed it from other stories (thx its generous from you to lend it to me xD) and Morgoth will be called by his original name Melkor (don't ask me why there are so many M's here...) If they are called Sauron and Morgoth it will most likely by the other valar or elves or something, i really hope that no one gets to confused by that.

**Chapter 4 meeting**

Cathy woke to bright sunshine at the twentieth march. At first she couldn't remember where she was and was annoyed by being blinded by the sunlight. Slowly did her memories come back to her consciousness: "Oh yes the letter, the village, the bar and those vile bottles of alcohol." With much more afford then normally she made her way to the bathroom and got an early ice-cold shower. At least she woke up. Her mobile told her that it was half past ten and she got angry with herself for losing so much time. She had planned to be up and away before nine, so she would get the chance to snoop around the canyon without anyone noticing where she intended to go to.

In short, she had to change her plans but that would have to wait until after breakfast… because with her head heavier than a car, she wanted coffee. A thing about Cathy always was that she needed coffee to really wake up; she was always tired in the mornings. Ever since they moved to Switzerland she felt tired and out of place, but with the years she just got used to it and it got normal to her. Really it wasn't trouble for her, but it was for every poor soul that got to her before she got her dose of coffee.

After dressing herself in a comfortable pair of jeans and a really warm night-blue pullover she stuffed everything else beside her jacket in the bag and left the room as clean as possible. Downstairs she could already hear voices. She greeted Rose with a warm smile and the woman shoved her to a table and started to bring the food. Andy greeted her shortly because he was mostly focusing on the TV, Cathy didn't mind it's not as anything needed attention from him, as Cathy was the only guest at this time.

Before reaching her third cup of the treasured black liquid, the doorbell rang and another visitor entered the room. The man was tall and had black straight hair that reached beyond his shoulders and was simply caught back by a simple band. He wore a long black coat and Cathy felt the urge to look outside to see his motorbike but there wasn't one. He looked like early forty but she was never good with guessing age.

Rose came to the front. "Greetings, anything we can help you with?" "Yes actually that breakfast looks good (he pointed in Cathy's direction)." He answered in a smooth deep voice and Andy just nodded to prepare the order. The man came over to Cathy and that was quite suspicious as there were enough tables free. She just had the feeling that he came inside to talk to her and not because of the coffee.

"May I…?" He pointed to the seat across from her and Cathy just nodded. He slipped out of his coat and sat in front of her. Cathy was tired and had a hangover she wasn't really in the mood for company so she fought her curiosity down and just finished her meal in silence. She just looked up as Andy brought the man's order and shook her head slightly in answer to his worried look. That was her story and she didn't want anyone caught up inside of it more than necessary. She met the eyes of the stranger too and something between them connected and what first was a feeling that he wanted to meet with her was now certainty.

Another cup of black coffee with one spoon of sugar slowly vanished inside Cathy's throat. She waited for the man to start speaking, to explain something and she had a hard fight to not give in to the temptation to kick him and slap him. She really wanted to loudly scream at him, demanding information from him; instead she just took the last sip on her cup. She excused herself and with some warmly goodbyes to the two owners and a nod to the stranger she grabbed her bag, slipped in her jacket and left. The young woman just hurried to her car. The moment she searched for her car keys inside her pockets she found an envelope. She stored her bag inside her car and got inside herself. She shut the door and put the heater on.

With a deep breath she opened the envelope and found a golden bracelet, it was much too small for her because it was fitted for a child's hand. She knew that bracelet; carefully she took it inside her hand and inspected it closer. There were filigree lines inscribed: too Catherina our beloved daughter. Cathy had tears in her eyes she couldn't believe it, it was hers. The bracelet she had gotten to her fifth birthday. The one that should always remember her that even though her parents worked far away they always loved her. Hers, the one that she lost so long ago and never was able to find again.

How did it get here? How? How? Her mind was reeling and she couldn't help the tears that were running down her cheeks. It took her some more minutes to discover that there was a letter too inside the envelope and it was written in the same handwriting as the first one.

Ms. Midway,

I hope this proofs that I told you the truth and that you will allow my messenger to accompany you to my current place. Please be assured that you have nothing to fear about.

She stared at the words and then she stared a little longer. Again nothing of this made any kind of sense. What should it proof? Someone had found or even stolen her bracelet and handed it to her after fifteen years… She couldn't really understand what was going on. What does it mean messenger? Was the man inside the bar the one… sure he must have slipped the envelope to her too. Cathy put the heater out and left the car. She safely locked it and then she heard steps behind her. It was the unnerving man with his black coat and he just stood there silent, waiting for her. She cursed, silently in all five languages she knew and then asked

"Who are you?"

"Today, your guide, if you don't mind would you follow me now?"

He turned around and started walking and Cathy was at a loss if she should follow or not, but then she flew here to get some answers and she wouldn't back out yet when she already got so close.

They walked through the small alleys and left the village behind them. The stranger headed straight for the dark forest behind the last houses and in direction of the canyon she had the intention of exploring. He walked fast and never looked back at her as if he couldn't care less about her presence. Cathy started with following in silence but after really reaching the plane of the wake people, the curiosity got the best of her.

"Who are you?"

The man slowed down until he walked beside her. Gave her a searching look and something seemed to catch his disapproval.

"This is certainly not the place to discuss such things but you seem to know much less than you should."

That was the cryptic answer she got, oh how much he annoyed her. Cathy couldn't see the smirk that stole itself on his face, as he looked deep in the forest.

"Could you at least tell me your name?"

"What do names mean? I' m called a lot things by a lot people and it has no meaning to me."

"Ok then how do you want to be called? I mean I would prefer to have a variation to simply calling you: YOU."

"Call me Mairon if you must."

"Fine."

At the end of the dialog Cathy was angry and she hated the situation of stumbling through a shadowy forest with a man she didn't know searching for things that would have better left where they were. But then she looked at the small golden band in her hand and remembered that her parents died because of the thrice damned curse and that she had a valued reason for finding a solution to that problem. Cathy was disrupted from her thoughts as the forest floor surged. She knew if they would follow their current direction they would have to start climbing soon. After ten more minutes Mairon turned north and guided her downhill to small path. They reached the canyon and followed it further North West. Thankfully there was no snow left this year and thankfully she had put on her warm boots with the useful soles and not the stylish rubbish they sold everywhere, or else she would have already slipped and broke her feet.

The floor was wet and the stones where loosely and slick but she managed fine. Carefully she found her way through the difficult terrain. She asked herself how she could lose so much condition, in her childhood she hoped across this area like nothing, but living in the city made her clumsy, especially concerning an environment that wasn't made of blank streets, straight walls and security stickers on every possible obstacle. Somehow she didn't feel like they were heading to a place that would provide the luxury of a roof and a warm room. The only things you could find in this area were wilderness and some hunting cottages.

Cathy remembered that some of the smaller streams would mend to a larger one somewhere close by and she wasn't disappointed. Twenty minutes later they reached the riverbank and her guide halted. He looked a bit miffed like he didn't approve of the water being here.

"Follow me we have to find a way across and we have to hurry."

She looked at him confused, but thought that it wasn't such a good idea to remind him that water normally lacked teeth and was unlikely to bite him. Instead she decided to search her memories for a way to pass the stream without getting wet shoes. She remembered an old bridge somewhere upstream, hunters had used it but she couldn't guarantee that it was still there and usable, so she asked.

"How urgent is it and how much longer do we have to walk?"

He looked at her like he was trying to read her mind, she felt odd and it remembered her of a feeling that she really tried to forget, that damn eyes of that damn woman.

"With your snail's pace it will take us one hour from here and we will get caught up in heavy rain if we don't hurry."

Something about how he looked told Cathy that it wasn't the rain that forced them to hurry. It was more like they were followed. She sighed deeply and grabbed him at his collar. She never saw his stunned expression as she looked straight ahead and walked middle through the stream. She just went ahead as she knew the water won't reach further then her knees and the worst thing that could happen was that she tripped and get herself soaked from head to toe. Mairon followed the woman who had him at the collar of his shirt, he was irritated not only did he hate every kind of water besides that which flows lovely regulated through tubes; no he also was dragged by a human and a women no less. But the worst thing was that with his powers nearly gone and stuck in a body, while the flowing of the water crossed his thoughts, he was unable to do anything against it.

Cathy got out of the freezing wet and was stuck miffed in her wet shoes. This wouldn't be a nice travel but she would carry it with grace. Behind her a hand started to untangle her fingers from the shirt and she looked back to see in dark eyes that shone with disappointment. But Mairon didn't say a word he just took the lead again and they walked in silence again. An hour of walking and climbing only disrupted from the squashing noise of their soaked shoes later they reached a kind of plateau. Again they found themselves in a deep forest where you couldn't see further than ten meters. The young woman tired out not only was she freezing and uncomfortable her shoes where have and the climbing took its toll, she just hoped they reached their destination before she started to stumble because of exhaustion. Besides what she could see from the sky it got really dark and soon it would be raining. But someone had mercy with her and it didn't take more than ten minutes until they stepped out to a clearing and there was a house.

Cathy looked like someone had slapped her, why was there a house? How the hell could a house get to this place where no streets reached to and no ways would have allowed bringing a lot material like stones and such? Luckily she was too tired to ask questions and she didn't want the house to disappear just because it couldn't be possible that it was there. She looked at Mairon for confirmation and he just nodded affirmative before heading to the entrance.

The door opened upon their arriving and an old woman greeted them with a silent nod. They entered and finally it was warm again. Cathy felt really happy with not freezing anymore that she just silently waited for what was coming next.

"You will follow Mary who will show you the bathroom. You have to get warm and some dry clothes before you catch a cold, we will meet afterward for the meeting."

With this last words Mairon vanished through a door to the left and Cathy was dragged upstairs by the old woman.


	5. Chapter 5 meeting part 2

Hello to my wonderful readers :)

Disclaimer: my oc's belong to me and the most weird and mad stuff too (honestly just my mind) all charakters and ideas from lord of the rings belong to Tolkien (as if anyone would say different) and I don't earn anything with it.

To everyone please have fun

About Mairon and Melkor, they are both stuck in a very weak physically form of themselves (as to why will be explained later, hopefully i don't forget about it XD, has to do with being on earth not arda...) so in that form they have physically expressions like sighing or something, they also use it that Cathy wouldn't freak out to much.

* * *

**Chapter 5 meeting part 2**

She felt better, much better. Mary shoved her inside the small room while the steam already caught her. It didn't took her long get rid of her wet things and herself in the excellent bathtub filled with hot water and nice oils. Cathy leaned back and closed her eyes she calmed her breath and relaxed her tired muscles. After washing her hair, there were still some leaves caught in her long black locks, she finished and got herself dry. Mary provided her with a nice pair of trousers and a wide shirt, both was made of silk and had white color. She found a hairbrush and after straightening it, Mary helped her inside a kind of robe. It was warm and had a nice dark green coloring. Cathy wondered about the strange clothes but after finally getting warm she couldn't bring herself to really have a problem with it.

The old woman led her through the dark corridors it was comfortably warm but not much light could be found. Mary stopped in front of a wooden double door, behind it were voices to hear and after a positive nod from the helpful lady, Cathy turned to enter the room. While the steps of the woman faded away she took a moment to wonder about why she hadn't spoken a word to her… Then she opened one door and entered. Cathy was greeted by a lit fireplace with three chairs in front of it. She also found Mairon and another man occupying two of them leaving one empty.

"Welcome Catherina, a long time has passed since we spoke last to each other. It is nice to meet with you again please come and have a seat."

The voice spoke calm and deep but with a tone to it that made refusal impossible. Cathy got closer took place at the chair. While Mairon was imposing it was nothing in comparison to the other man it was so unreal. And the air in the room it had felt like stepping underneath water, like there wasn't air anymore but something different something calm but heavy and powerful. She sat down but despte all the strange things that happened she wasn't scared, maybe some of the oils in the bath had a calming effect or something.

"Who are you?"

Again she asked the question and again she didn't get an explanation as answer but a narrowing look from her host.

"If you don't know who I am, why did you follow the invitation?"

Nearly black eyes stared at her and something about them was majorly scary. Cathy never had problems with her self-confidence but she had to swallow hard to get an answer out of her mouth.

"Because you implied that you will share your knowledge about, how did you put it? Oh yes: about my private project, with me."

He stared at her, with a mix of disbelieve and amusement. Cathy didn't know what she should think of the whole situation. It didn't help in the slightest that her whole body started to tingle and feel off since she entered this old-style room with its dark wooden patterns and the mantle made of marble. She really wanted some answers and she lacked the patients for such kind of games.

"You may call me Melkor."

That was all that Cathy got before he looked at Mairon and received a nod of confirmation of said man. He got up and left the room silently through small door beside one of the bookshelves and left Cathy alone with Melkor. She really wanted to ask what was going on but she felt frustrated with not getting any answers that she simply didn't ask.

"So Catherina before we get some clearance in this case, tell me what do you remember of the time fifteen years ago?"

Something in his voice seemed so convincing and soothing that she just started speaking.

"My friends, my granny, the house, the woods and lots of adventures with the kids and my cat Merlin, nothing out of the ordinary and most important nothing about you."

"We will see about that."

Cathy couldn't say if there was concern on his face but something obviously didn't fit in with his plans. Unknown to her there really swept a wave of concern through the ancient mind posing as a physical being. That concern was directed to the mess he had found himself in after his escape. He had less time than he thought if they already had laid their hands on the woman. Even though he never cared about the other children of Illuvatar, Catherina was a special case. She was needed. As much as he hated the situation he was in desperate need of help from the petite childish little being in front of him. Oh the irony of that… But even someone as stubborn as himself and he was the impersonation of stubborn, couldn't dismiss the fact that the time when he had been the most powerful and knowledgeable being after Illuvatar, were long gone.

"We will continue this talk shortly but first you should rest a bit and eat something."

That was the last thing that Cathy heard before Melkor left the room. A middle aged man entered and brought her a plate with food and some kind of warm tea. She leaned back in her chair and stared at the flames. She had always loved the crackling sound of burning wood. She loved the smell and enjoyed the warmth. But even though relaxing she found the place, she couldn't help but notice that the flames seemed to dim a bit, the moment that Melkor left and that was simultaneously with the fading of the heavy air in the room.

Before she could start really worrying about all the creepy stuff that happened around her, Mairon entered the room and told her to follow him. At first she wanted to decline, she really felt relaxed and to leave the fireplace held nothing desirable in her opinion. It just was the really creepy red(!) eyes that stared at her in a non-nonsense matter, that convinced her to get her tired self out of the comfy chair and to follow Mr. Annoyance. She was very grateful for the warm robe she wore because it got noticeably colder outside the room and while following a staircase that let down to the basement. It took them a lot steps to reach the bottom and Cathy asked herself how far beneath the surface she was. Mairon showed her to some kind of laboratory, other people would freak out at this moment, but as she grew up in such kind of environment she couldn't help but notice how different it was to everything that she saw at the facility grounds.

Mairon wondered silently about the tiny human behind him. He could sense that she was annoyed but not scared. Not that he needed her scared on the contrary he would fail in his mission if she was but it was not the reaction he had expected. She was in fact surprisingly calm about the situation. He passed through the outer rooms in which he stored a lot of his working devices. The human trailed behind him but not as fast or steady as he would have preferred, before entering the next chamber he turned around and couldn't help the eyebrow that rose as he found her closely inspecting one of his scales. He had a lot of machines and constructions that he needed for measurements and such and he had them perfectly calibrated and he really couldn't stand if anyone touched them, not that she did, at the moment.

She was lost in wonderment, there were so many constructions that she hadn't a name for and not one of it looked like some of the modern computer controlled machines from the usual labs. In fact she fought she had stumbled in the 18th century or something. Like an alchemist's lab in one of the movies. Cathy inspected a scale, which itself looked so filigree that she didn't dare to even touch it. It used old-fashioned weights but some of them were so tiny she could fit them on one finger. It looked so exact it was frightening, as if it could rival the precision of laser technology. Something pulled painfully at the strings of her heart; it was her long forgotten love and curiosity for science. Not for endless equations but for the childish curiosity at how this world worked.

He couldn't understand the shifting of her feelings. What started as curiosity turned to love and longing and ended a deep sadness. It was funny to watch but he had a difficult task ahead and he didn't like wasting time.

"Please hurry I want to finish this today."

She could hear some kind of annoyance and that didn't go well with her. Honestly she was the one who was still without answers and stuck in this alienated place with very weird people.

"Only if you explain to me, what's going on and what you are going to do! I'm fed up with being shifted around like a luggage and not understanding what you deem so damn important about hurrying around."

She wasn't loud or anything but her voice was serious and it showed that her patients had ended. Mairon just turned around and walked straight to the opposite door in the next room, before Cathy could say anything he already reached a chamber behind. She followed ignoring the highly interesting and tempting chemical substances, that where set up in many different experiments. She reached the chamber were Mairon vanished in and just caught the sound of the closing door behind her.

"This chamber is shielded against interferences of any kind, that's why you have been brought here. It seems that someone has altered your memories and in that process completely erased any knowledge about us and the meeting between my master and you fifteen years ago."

He stopped to give her some time to process what he had told her and wasn't disappointed to see an understanding reaching her. Cathy was shocked someone had altered her mind? How? Who? When? How was something like that even possible? She also wondered about herself that she so readily believed that Mairon told her the truth.

"Now you will drink this draught, it will help you relax and put your mind at peace."

Cathy looked at the falcon in his hand, which he held out to her. She took the suspicious looking liquid but wasn't sure if she should really drink it.

"I will try to find the disturbance in your mind and to give you your memories back but this will be dangerously and difficult. I need you to understand that if you start to fight against me, the result will most likely be losing your mind."

That was the moment she got really scared. Mairon sighed he knew that it would be hard to convince her that she needed to cooperate. He carefully shoved her to a desk in the middle of the room. He also let his presence take on a calming effect. It worked her breath slowed down and her face lost its hardened look.

"This is all very confusing and scaring to you but I need to break the grip that those people have on your mind or you will be in danger. And isn't it clear that they aren't trustworthy as they manipulated your mind?"

"Maybe but only if there are memories missing and you are not just crazy."

"But if I wanted to force you to do something I would have already done so and if I wanted to lie to you I would have tried for something that was more likely to be accepted by you and not so crazy as you put it."

She found that was true and somehow she got the feeling that she had to let him do that. Really where did that feeling come from? She didn't know and it made absolutely no sense at all but it grew steady and five minutes later she lay down on the table after drinking that disgusting draught. She got tired and Mairon needed to help her with not hitting her head. He waited patiently for her heartbeat to slow down until he knew that she was in very deep slumber. He concentrated and put all his feelings and thoughts aside, beside the one of entering her mind. All his resentments against playing babysitter for this fragile being needed to be stored away. It wasn't really difficult to look through a human mind; the challenge was to leave her intact enough so she would still be useful to them.

He put one of his hands on the head of the unconscious women, which lay on the table and entered her mind. Mairon was greeted by a warm darkness and everything was calm. Sending soft impulses out asking her mind for happy memories it started to get lively. Her mind was now flooded with memories of playing kids, of exploring the forest and building boats out of leaves that could swim across a stream. Without haste he waited, waited that something triggered him. Mairon was a master manipulator he had searched and destroyed minds for countless times. He knew that any kind of manipulation always felt wrong, even the best hidden ones did. That's why the orcs and their creatures felt wrong too, it was a disturbance of the divine order, a disturbance in the great music of their father that created everything. This dissonance was always traceable and as he was the spirit that represented the order of all things on this planet from magnetism and gravity to the photosynthesis he could track dissonance with ease.

Then he found it. While following a fife year old child and its cat Merlin through the forest he suddenly felt a powerful presence. He took a sharp breath there was a powerful block installed that sealed the woman's memories and not just them. He felt that the powerful pattern of light just partly affected her mind it mostly affected her soul. Mairon was very careful as he got deeper inside, this was not a tiny memory block attached by one of their enemy's servants this was one of the most powerful spells of the making of the Valar he ever came across. He even knew that it was anchored there by Manwe himself. Very carefully as to not provoke any counter attacks from the spell he withdrew from the little being. This would be more difficult than he had suspected.

Mairon reached out for his master's presence and shared his findings. Melkor agreed that they should try it together. The risk of causing irreversible damage while fighting against the binding was none that they were willingly to take. While waiting for his master he searched for a blanket to keep her body warm and in a relaxed state. He also flooded her whole being with his powers. He represented the order of things itself, so basically he told her body to perfectly work as he should. That even had the side effect of healing her completely like reversing a wear on her bones and organs. His intention was to stabilize her enough as to not lose her in the middle of their upcoming fight. His powers were nothing measured on what they had been but he could force enough energy in every single cell, which her body was made of to guarantee that she would continue to live.

Melkor silently entered Catherina's mind it was so important to their plans that they could count on her help, that there was no way that he could risk losing her. He waited for his servant to finish the protection before he stepped closer to the pattern made of energy that he would anywhere recognizing as originating from Manwe, his brother. He should have known it. It was his own stupidity to let the child out of his reach again when he had already found her. Melkor sighed it seemed that the long millennia's in captivity took their toll on his sanity. The moment he felt that Catherina was protected to their best efforts, he started to examine the binding closely. Mairon was right this didn't just aim for her mind this was worse. He floated along the spell and searched for weaknesses. He found out that it bound her soul too; it wrapped itself around her like a prison. Spoken in physically terms it strangled her so much that she could just breathe enough to prevent her from dying.

It seemed his brother had finally let go of his be nice to everyone standards, because doing this to a five year old innocent child just for having met with Melkor was a harsh punishment. But by all the power his brother still had he lacked Melkors gift of subtlety and he seemed to have forgotten that it was him who had a share in every art of the Valar. He untangled the spell easily and it crumbled underneath his presence. What both spirits hadn't calculated was the enormous backlash of Cathy's Soul after being captive for fifteen years. It simply through them out of her mind and the body of the young woman began to shake. Like a tsunami was her body flooded and the soul light claimed what was rightfully its own. If not for Mairons preparation she would have died of the shock of being free and herself once more.

Melkor carefully took the trembling body and carried it upstairs back to fireplace where he put her on a couch, which was brought in for her to rest. Both spirits settled there too, awaiting that she woke and hoping that her mind survived that adventure without problems.


	6. Chapter 6 the tribunal

disclaimer: Nothing is mine besides the oc's and my own storyline, everything else belongs to the rightful owners... I EARN NOTHING WITH IT (just if someone would truly believe that...)

To my appreciated readers: I thought I would get this finished by yesterday but it was a handful of work... I hope you enjoy it

At this point of the story it should be clear where I'm heading too with the plot. So if there are no reviews I will just assume that you are completely content with everything and just do as I please, so if there are any ideas or wishes... Now would be the time to send them...

**Chapter 6 the tribunal**

„Mew" Merlin got annoyed what took Cathy this long? The small child had some trouble with climbing up the hill. She followed her faithful companion as always because under Merlin's lead they encountered the best adventures, like the shifting cave or the mirror lake. Today she was on her way back to the cave, mostly because it was Merlin's favorite place in the forest. As always was the light brown fur ball ten feet ahead and looked back at her, waiting impatiently. Cathy didn't mind Merlin had his faults too but he was much nicer than the neighbor kids. She didn't know when it started or why but they called her a witch and a liar, just because she told them of the special places she had found. It didn't help her case that she couldn't show them to her friends but somehow she always only stumbled across them when she was alone with Merlin.

She struggled through branches and bushes and with a lot cracking and deep breaths she finally reached a small clearing. It wasn't in any way special just a circle of trees with a large rock in their middle. Then she felt something, something strange but at the same time familiar. She knew that feeling it always came with finding odd places but there was nothing in sight that was in any kind or form different from normal. But the feeling was there warm and heavy like snuggling in a warm blanket. "Maybe it's like the lake, there I couldn't see anything too at first…" that were here thoughts. Cathy started exploring; she walked around the rock but nothing. The feeling didn't changed it was just there, a tickling in the air that made her ears itching. She liked that feeling because it was so calm and old like a mossy place. Oh how curious she was, maybe she found here a friend too?

At the lake she had found, there was voice beneath the water and it was Cathy's best friend after Merlin. They talked every time she got there and she knew that Melkor had no one else to talk to as he couldn't leave the lake and all other beings that came by couldn't hear him. She wished she could show the others in the village so they wouldn't think she was crazy but she could never find the lake when she tried to lead someone there.

He was deeply in thoughts. Oh how he loathed this, after his escape he was so weak he couldn't even travel for long distances anymore. It's not that he had a solid form that could get exhausted no but even his fea (soul) got tired after moving around, all because of his brother and the other traitors. He could take on a solid form but only for short moments and it exhausted him even more. Not only was he robbed of his title as Lord of Arda, they also caught him in chains and nearly destroyed him completely. He could even see the satisfaction in their eyes as they ripped his fea to pieces. Basically it was not much left of him now. What once was the greatest of all beings after their father was now nothing more than a shattered piece of nothing. But at least he had his mind and even in his weakest hour he was able to deceive his guards and flee his eternal prison. And he had a tiny piece of hope… the hope of getting his powers back. That hope kept him going. Motivated him to give his best to lose his haunters, it wasn't an easy feat as they were determinate to get him.

Melkor had searched for the one being that could end his misery. It seemed that Manwe and his servants had made some mistakes as they captured him and these mistakes would gift him with the loophole he needed to restore his powers and rise once again in all his might. A human child would be able to do that feat, he wasn't sure how but he was desperate enough that he tried for every tiny chance… So it happened that he searched for his human and while striving through a foreign world he took a break and gathered his fea around a rock. It was more like he focused there to get a link of stability from the solid world around him. At first he didn't notice the small kid that stumbled across the forest, only as she came close enough to the rock he "sat" upon (in lack of a better word), so she could touch it, was he startled out of his thoughts. Measured by how clumsily the child moved it had yet to master the ability to walk on to feet. He watched her moving around the rock at if something had piqued its curiosity. He wanted to dismiss it but then he heard the soft voice.

"Hello? Are you there? Can you hear me?"

That was impossible no one could see or sense him, he had perfectly masked his presence, so even the Valar would be deceived. But the child didn't go away, on the contrary it tried to get on the rock, not that it's trying held any sort of grace. The child had a hard time climbing on the rock and always lost its grip and fell to the floor again. But Melkor could see determination in the young eyes and after the eighth attempt she finally reached the top. He found a lot pride for accomplishing the task on the tiny face and felt a bit of amusement.

"Hello? Can you answer me?"

The child asked again and out of curiosity he answered, just hoping she wouldn't run off screaming.

"Hello, little one. How is it that you now about me? I thought no one could notice my presence."

He spoke in the softest voice he could muster and just hoped that his manipulation skills didn't fail on the kid. He had some concerns about that because every power he still had left was even more clouded and caged with his entering of Earth, but the child started laughing, it was soft, happy and held lot innocence to it. He let his concerns fade away.

"I knew there was someone. It's great to meet you. Are you inside the stone?"

"Yes it is great to meet you too and no I'm very much sitting on top of the stone like you, but normally no one knows; how do you know I was here?"

"I can feel you; you feel like the others it's nice, calm and a bit like a heavy thick air."

Melkor's thoughts started spinning how could this child feel him? Then it hit him maybe just maybe she was the one he needed… Absolutely his luck to get a child, if it had to be something so ridiculous like a human it could at least have been a warrior, but no he was stuck with a five-year old.

"Child what's your name?"

"Catherina Midsway."

"Catherina would you help me to find those others you spoke of? Maybe not yet but when you older, let's say in a few years?"

The kid smiled and promised to do so.

"Will you be here tomorrow? Shall I come and visit you?"

"No child it's not a good idea if I stay to long at the same location but I will meet you again, here in fifteen years."

She nodded and put a golden bracelet on the top of the rock.

"Here take it; it's from my parents, so that I won't feel so alone when they are far away working. I have to go now, so that my granny doesn't worry, good-bye."

Without getting an answer Cathy jumped from the rock and started searching for Merlin. The cat wasn't far off and came to her. Suspiciously looking like being smug and sated with a mouse snack. They both made their way back home, or at least tried. Melkor couldn't help a bad feeling that claimed his being. He should have taken her along. What if something happened to her? But she was too small, how could she be helpful? Besides he had no patients with children or with others in general. He couldn't even stand his servants with the exception of Mairon his most faithful lieutenant and the one who actually found out about how to get his powers back. Yeah he was proud how his fellow spirit had risen above his former morals and became the most trusted and gifted of his followers. Maybe it was time that he retreated home and examined the accomplishments of raising his realm to its former glory. Mairon should already be finished with the new fortress.

The small kid and the brown cat nearly reached their home near the border of the forest. But then they saw an old woman, Cathy couldn't make any details out as the being was cloaked and its face was hooded. She got closer and wanted to friendly greet the woman but then she saw her eyes. They were glowing and one was golden and the other blue. It was the last thing that she saw before darkness claimed her.

Cathy moaned, she had a major headache and what was that odd dream? Or was it a memory? She tried to move and found herself lying on a couch, covered with a blanket. After shifting herself in a sitting position and regretting it because it ten folded her headache, she finally noticed the two beings watching her.

"You."

By far that was one of her stupidest announcements ever but she couldn't help it. Melkor just smiled, satisfied that they obviously were successful.

"It seems that we should start over. So, greetings Catherina I'm glad that you found the time to meet with me and I hope that you are still willing to help me."

Cathy just nodded.

"So please could you explain to me now how all these mosaic pieces fit together, so that anything of this makes sense?"

"I will tell you now some of the information, that which you need to know, but everything else will wait until you had time to rest more. As you already know I'm not human nor is Mairon. In fact we are old spirits who just took a solid form while we needed to search for you. We belong to another world that exists independent from yours and we had a hard time to find a trace of you, to get here and at this time to find you again. Our world is at war between my brother (whom you have already met), his people and us. A long time ago my brother was able to catch me and tried to ban me to the void, to deny me of ever coming back but it didn't work as we are deeply bound to Arda our own creation."

Cathy tried to follow his explanation but was at a loss. Did he really speak of a parallel universe? Oh she knew some scientists who would kill for being here at this moment and being able to lay their hands on a being that's not solid but a spirit. She smiled a bit at that. Some other things concerned her too so she asked in return:

"They are here too? They followed us, right?"

This time it was Mairon who spoke.

"Yes it seems that they knew of this world before us and are able to pass forth and back between them but they aren't able to contain there powers here, they get weak and can't stay for long."

"Why?"

"Because we are bound to our world more than you would be able to understand but basically we bound a great part of our spirits there, while we created our world."

That was much to take in and process. Cathy took her time, coming to terms with the thought of sitting in a room with two beings that once upon a time created a planet…. She forced to think about something else and then she remembered that woman on the graveyard, what if…?

"You have seen my memories?"

"Partly. Mostly those were images of your life fifteen years ago."

"The woman who predicted, that I would kill all inhabitants of that village, that was one of your kin right?"

Melkor smiled and suddenly there was a gleam in his eyes that could make steel crumble. Cathy shuddered but she really needed to know who it was that messed with her life to the extent of shunning her away from her home, so she asked again.

"That would mean that losing your power doesn't mean you have no way of messing with someone's life?"

"That is right and I tell you that it was my brother himself who choose this mask and he did much more than just set the people up against your family. He was also the one who deleted your memories and more. He bound your soul so you were handicapped and not truly yourself."

Cathy swallowed. Someone bound her soul just like that but why?

"Why?"

"Because you met with me and you are the one who would be able to help me."

"Help you with what?"

"I will try to explain. The original plan they had, was throwing me out in the void, as that didn't worked they ripped my fea apart. So I wouldn't be that dangerous anymore, at first I didn't know that they separated the pieces of my being and caged them separately. As I first woke after losing consciousness from being torn, I thought that the crippled part of me was the only thing that was left."

"I don't really understand how I would be of any help to you?"

Mairon asked himself the same question, as far as he had seen there was nothing special about this Catherina. If not for the fact that Manwe himself feared her interference he would have thought that his master had chosen the wrong human. So he answered.

"We don't know either. It was hard enough to come by the information that there was a human being that was foretold to help us and we weren't able to gain more knowledge about it."

Cathy didn't want to think about how they got such knowledge but something startled her.

"How said there would be someone, I mean was that source trustworthy?"

Melkor smiled again, this time it was actually from amusement.

"Yes that is a good question, but we got the knowledge from one of Manwes inner circle and it seemed that it was Illuvatars will that something had gone wrong that day, when they captured me. But I do have a few guesses as to how you will be able to help us but maybe we should talk about this tomorrow as you seem to have very much overused your mind today."

Melkor was right her headache had gotten worse and she was at the state of having tears in her eyes. It was Mairon who showed her to a room not far away. The room was completely boring and only contained a bed, but she couldn't care about it. She was so tired that she didn't notice the heavy storm outside the window. She didn't hear the angry raindrops that collided with the window. She just slipped out of the rope and under the blanket and before she knew it she was asleep.

But all her hopes for a peaceful night were crushed. At first she felt comfortable, light and free; like being able to take a deep breath for the first time in her life. Somehow she floated through nothingness but it wasn't scary it felt right. Then she felt a soft pull on her mind and she found a presence that felt like Melkor. She couldn't help it but she felt safe, even though that being was dangerous and not one second would she be mistaken him for the nice guy even in comparison to his brother whom she hated for what he had done to her family. Besides all that, she felt safe. Like that feeling that radiated from Melkor was part of her or somehow so familiar as if she had known him her entire life. She tried to find the source of this feeling, to get closer to it just because it felt like a kind of anchor or comfort to her, but she was disturbed. Suddenly there was a powerful pull on her being that whisked her away.

The moment she opened her eyes everything was white and blinding. She hated it, it was like waking up to bright sunlight and since the day she had met with Melkor's brother she hated that feeling. It took a time before her surroundings became clear to her. She lay on white marble inside a hall, there were pillars and she was reminded of an ancient Greek temple. But it was a bad copy as everyone who came across the Greek culture knew that they colored their temple artfully, it was just that this artworks didn't survive the cruel hand of time that the archeologists nowadays just found white ruins there.

But the lack of coloring of the room, Cathy found that she was waking in, was balanced in consideration of the overused coloring of the clothing, which the waiting crowd wore. You know that Bollywood films? Yes exactly like that… just that the beings wore robes and didn't dance. In fact they looked angry or worried and not few of them threw glances in her direction. Not that anyone of the handsome young men next to her had the courtesy of helping her up, or explaining to her what happened. Not that she minded much, because it gave her time to come to terms with her mind and that was a good thing. Because her thoughts sang suspiciously the theme melody of Alice in wonderland and with her head feeling like falling through more than one rabbit hole she wasn't even angry with herself.

As no one did anything, Cathy used the time to muster her surroundings closer. She started with the people. Mostly tall, lithe and with fair faces they only reminded abstractly to humans. It didn't need the pointed ears, shining eyes and powerful auras to get the point across to her. There were also nearly two hundred of them. She didn't know what was about to happen or why she was part of it but it seemed to have something to do with one of the beings. He was tall and had white long hair, not that he looked old or anything he just had white hair. His robes were colored in azure blue with a silver hem he also wore jewelry not that, that was out of the norm there. The other beings seemed to gather around him and she found herself behind that circle not in the middle of it, which she was very grateful for as she was rather spectator than participant in that scene. Another odd thing about the gathering was the sight that drew her attention to thirteen of the pillar tops.

Not visible but clearly present stood there in a circle under the rooftop thirteen spirits. They were breathtaking, they didn't radiate any kind of light but Cathy shuddered under their powerful presences. It felt like sitting on top of the most powerful nuclear bomb her world could create. Somehow she just knew that they were kin to Melkor and Mairon. With that thought in mind she concentrated on untangling the different frequencies of the spirits and then she found it. Manwe was there. On the pillar top in the front of her, on the opposite site of the hall, right above the being in the laughable azure blue robes. She glared at him. Cathy couldn't help it after all she had been through because of him she couldn't stop glaring. She didn't care if anyone would think her crazy for glaring at a spot of thin air, as she noticed how some people followed her gaze and when they saw nothing looked questioning back at her.

Not that she could see them either but she could feel them clearly, there was no way that she wasn't in a room with the Valar and their minions. After a while of mindless staring at probably nothing someone coughed silently and got the intended attention.

"Welcome to the tribunal of the Valier. Today we gathered here to find a solution to the new arising evil and to question the accused. We are also here to appoint a sentence to the woman who associated with Morgoth the enemy of all live in Arda."


	7. Chapter 7 Cathy vs Manwe

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me besides my oc's and my own storyline, everything else belongs to their rightful owners and no, I earn nothing with it.

**Hi** to everyone today you will see Cathy in action, in other words never get her pissed if you appreciate being healthy ;)... it also should be clear afterwards what everything is about, if you have questions or suggestions just let me know.

Last thing and the most important: Have fun XD

**Chapter 7 Cathy vs. Manwe**

Many people in her world would have been considered brighter than Cathy, but she was bright enough to know that this man was talking about her. She was the one to be sentenced for something and she felt how everything inside her turned to a knot, they were trying her? She didn't know if it was the turbulence of the last days, the development that these people played a part in her curse and maybe were responsible for her ill fate or just that she was kidnapped to a place that she didn't know, by complete strangers that now were the ones who considered her a criminal. It didn't matter to her. She was fed up.

Two of the more dangerous things about Catherina Midway were her legendary rants and her skill with speeches. But really dangerous was it when she bottled her anger up until it changed to seething hatred. May god have mercy with those fools in her way when she releases her laser-sharp tongue at them, because she had non to give. And the special one with the Damocles sword above his head was droning on, completely oblivious to the death sentence he had just signed.

"…I now ask the lords and ladies to come forward and speak of the crimes of Morgoth, that we may not forget what we are fighting against."

Cathy listened and it felt like hours, as one after another of the beings stepped to the middle of the room and started on their tales. They recounted all of their sad wars throughout the first three ages of their world, starting with the great music of the Ainur, the cursed Silmaril and the destruction of the two trees. After an eternity they finally reached the glorious victory over the hordes of their enemy and the final binding of Morgoth and how he had been thrown out to the void. Once again took Mr. Azur the word:

"But sadly after millennia of peace, while our world started to heal, it happened that the evil spirit broke his bindings again and fled the void. Again the evil is rising in the east and again it's our blood that will be shed in the upcoming battles. You may think that our enemy is weak and broken and not able to cause mayhem anymore but that is not true, as long as this being is roaming freely there will be no peace."

The crowd murmured and most voices seemed to agree with the white-haired man.

"There is a way how we can stop him from raising again. This mortal woman is the one who will be his key to power and if we want to stop him we have to find a way to prevent him from using her against us."

This time the voices got more confused and were surly at a loss on what to do. Cathy felt the urge to run away, how awful the man made it sound as if it was her intention to bring destruction to his world. And he was not the only one, if some of the voices were any indication.

"As always it's the human that cause trouble, just put her away."

"They seem so useless and always cause hurt and turmoil."

"Yes, store her somewhere safe, so we don't need to bother with her anymore."

She reached the point where here burning anger reached the point of ice-cold rage. It was the curse all over again, made her flee for her live so she wouldn't get hurt by these monsters that lacked every point of reason or differential thinking. But not this time, no she was long past the point of fleeing, she would attack but not yet as she was still too angry. As the saying goes, revenge is a dish you serve cold, ice-cold. So she waited, let the sea of voices swap at her but never cared listening, it was just noise. She started thinking; thinking of what she needed most at the moment. Was it getting away? Getting away but where too? She had no family left and where ever she would go the curse would follow her and not just the curse. She would also have to flee Melkor because he needed her and on the other side the Valar who needed her to stay away from Melkor. If Manwe's act of deleting her memories when he was in a weakened state gave any indication than that she was in bad need of help. What would help her most at this moment? Answers. That's it then, with her new course of action set, she decided to focus on her surroundings again.

"We could simply kill her."

"No that is impossible or the curse would pass on to her next relation, we need to keep her under our guard."

"She could live here on the island, where we could keep an eye on her and make sure that the kids she will have are the ones who are the chosen for the curse, so that there will be no way for Morgoth to lay his claws on it. The Valar may know of a way to keep the curse with her direct descendents."

Was Cathy livid about what she heard? Yes completely but she decided to not act on it, because she needed to know what the meant knew of the curse. She calmed herself with the help of counting in mandarin. Then she took a deep breath and stepped forward facing those beings, with a deep and steady voice she exclaimed:

"I don't know who you are or what you are. I don't know if you even deserve to be called a who at all, but the point is I can't bring myself to care. Just let me recount some things to you. You think yourself to be in the right of trying me even though I'm absolutely not under your jurisdiction. I am not part of your world you have no right to sentence me in any way, kind or form. The only court I'm bound to is the administration of justice in Switzerland. Additionally to not being in right here, you are the ones who committed a lot crimes against me and you are openly discussing on continue with that. Let me make a list. First, you kidnap me, and fail to grand me the courtesy of a throughout explanation, your fake trial wouldn't pass any normal standards in my world as you fail to explain the laws, my rights and even my committed crime to me. Oh sorry I forgot you try me not for what I have done but for what I possible could do. Furthermore you intend to deprive me of my freedom and use me for breeding maybe even rape me if I decline to sentence my possible children to the same fate as mine. You even fail to grand me an attorney to speak for me and defend my rights."

"Besides all of that you truly have the nerve to ask me to understand you? To believe you when you say you are the good guys. Hey honestly, I don't think so. In my eyes you have a lot more in common with Morgoth then you may think. Isn't that so Manwe? I know that you are here and listening and I ask you to come forth and answer my questions, which you deny me since fifteen years."

The tumult was unbelievable, everyone talked at the same time and most voices grew angry. Cathy was astounded that she could even finish her speech… but it seemed that what caused the most of their ire was that she called upon the Valar. Some even wondered why she had said that they were in the hall. But Cathy never noticed all of that, because she focused on the spirit in front of her, her face serious and determined. And then it happened something shifted in the room, as if the whole consistence of everything inside was changed. And suddenly there were yells of surprise to hear and after that all looks were fixed on the pillar tops. In a sudden burst of light you could notice how some kind of light began to morph until the thirteen spirits were visible and surprisingly solid. Everyone fell silent and just stared at them until Manwe spoke.

"What is it that you wish to know?"

"Why me? Why am I the one needed?"

"The day we bound Morgoth to save Middle Earth from his wraith, we tried to throw him out in the blackness that lacks every light, but it wouldn't work."

There were murmurs a lot of those beings hadn't known that Morgoth wasn't kept in the void, they wondered as to why no one had told them.

"It was my decision to break up his fea so he wouldn't be such a huge threat, not that there was much left of him when we got him, he had already destroyed much of his being, as he created his foul creatures. His soul was kept under the sea, guarded by Ulmo (Valar of the waters) and his most trusted servants but Morgoth escaped. Truth is that the day we cut Morgoth's fea to pieces a tiny part of him escaped and we couldn't find it anymore. This tiny part, as our great father told me attached itself to a human that he found in a world that wasn't ours."

Slowly, really slowly Cathy knew what that meant; she had gotten her answer at last. It was the soul piece of a dark evil creature stuck to her, which caused her ill fate. Cathy wanted to accept that answer and grew angry with Melkor but then something hit her.

"You can pass between the worlds, why didn't you stop the bad things that happened to my family?"

"I saw no reason to interfere in something that was clearly Illuvatars will."

"If that is true, why did you interfere with my live then?"

"Even though I' m not going against Illuvatars will, I will not allow for my brother to regain his powers."

"Why didn't you tell us? So we could have been prepared. So that at least we would have known why all of this was happening to us?"

"I never thought that it would cause trouble as it was really just a tiny piece of his fea."

"Really? You thought that an ancient evil spirit, which main gift is to deceive and fool every living being, would be no trouble, sorry but I can't believe that. Why did you erase my memory and caged my soul when my only crime was being five years old and stumbling upon something that I clearly didn't understand?"

It seemed as if everyone in the room had held his breath while listening to the girl who questioned the lord of Arda. They hadn't known that there was a soul piece of Morgoth out there that still caused pain. They may not think much of human beings but there was no one inside the hall that hadn't been fooled once in his live by Morgoth so they could understand what pain that must have caused to the girl's family. Some of them found it a grave mistake to not at least warn them that there was an evil spirit in their family and they had no understanding for Manwe's actions. They were even more annoyed when the woman accused their leader of having manipulated her and bound her fea. They hoped there was a very good explanation for this.

"I wanted to minimize your possibility's to interfere with fate."

Again there was shocked silence. Manwe had declared that he had bound the fea of a child? Yes they were desperate but taking the child away and have it live with them to protect it is one thing but cripple her and let her in a dangerous environment without knowledge to protect herself… There were a lot lord and ladies in the room who questioned if blindly trusting the Valar was such a good idea.

Cathy knew they had reached the end of the discussion and now would her fate be sealed, they would sentence her and she couldn't do a thing about it. She wished she could leave, just leave to a place far away and mourn her parents who hadn't needed to die and so on. She was at a loss of what she wanted. She just knew very clearly what she didn't want.

She hated the Valar most of all Manwe. She knew she should hate Melkor too, it was his soul piece that caused her suffering but then the Melkor she had met was nothing but kind to her especially considering his normal attitude. Sure she would be killed the moment that she wasn't useful anymore and maybe she would suffer before her death but then that was at least honest. Not like Manwe who pretended to be the just and wise leader of the world but didn't care for the fate of a child that couldn't protect itself. Manwe had stolen her memories and he was the reason she always felt so tired, that she lived fifteen years in solitude always scared that anyone that got to close would die because of the curse. And the feeling of emptiness, of missing something, of not being herself all of it caused because she could be a threat to their plans.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that it was most likely that the military in her own world would have reacted worse and wouldn't hesitate for a second to kill her if it would protect the rest of their people but then they don't pose as just, wise and nearly all-knowing leaders either, at least not anymore and not in democracies. The question was, what was she going to do with her life now? Manwe said that he wanted the soul piece to be stored where it was. So if she remained here then she would life with the curse her whole live and her descendants too. Running off on her own was also from the plate, due to the fact that there was no way of keeping away everyone that had an interest in her.

If it was her death or not she would try to return to Melkor… He would be able to break the curse on her and against all off her sanity's screaming's she trusted him somehow. Only as she came to a decision of what she truly wanted for herself, did her attention wander back to what was happening around her and it seemed that her fate wasn't set yet. The crowd was still talking. How could she flee? How did she even get here? Wasn't she asleep in the bed? Did they bring her whole body or just her mind to this place? Wouldn't Melkor and Mairon notice if someone enters the house and kidnap her? Most likely they would, so it is possible that it is just her mind that is stuck here. Maybe they would find a way to wake her up? No the Valar wouldn't let them.

With more concentration than ever she tried to feel her body, her fingers her feet. She tried to move to feel the blanket, to feel the bed but nothing happened. How was it possible that she couldn't return to her own body? Wasn't she being meant to be inside her body how could they simply keep her away from herself. She felt desperation claim your heart, was she truly stuck her with these people. Tears threatened to show.

She had an idea, if she wasn't able to find herself, maybe she could find something that was so familiar to her that she would find it everywhere? What if she could reach Melkor? Her plan had its difficulties and the most important ones were thirteen powerful beings in the room, who shielded every other feeling from her besides their own presence. She needed to shut them out. Cathy didn't know why but she remembered her Merlin, the one who knew every path and could find everything, every odd place in the forest. The one guide of her who never allowed her that she got lost. With the memories of her cat, came other memories, memories of feelings, how she felt the being underneath the water. There it was the calm feeling, the one she felt save with and she knew that this was Melkor's presence, the one that was attached to her soul.

"Hello, can you hear me?"

She just thought the question and she felt a soft ruffle on her being as answer. Having a different being stuck inside yourself should have freaked her out, but it didn't she felt save, not so alone anymore.

"Can you bring me back to the room, where I sleep in?"

The feeling she got as answer was a positive one but she knew that they would need to work together. With all concentration she could muster she focused again on her own body and then it happened. She felt the blanket beneath her fingers. Only partly she heard the startled scream and then she felt the similar pull on her trying to get her back to the hall. She fought against it, with all her will and slowly ever so slowly she returned home to herself. Only calm and far away she could hear the screaming and the anger of the people and the Valar.

"Don't let her get away, with her returned memories she could easily lead them to the places…"

Then it stopped and she felt like crashing down on a hard floor. With a sharp intake of breath she sat upright in her bed, furiously hugging herself and shaking in fear. Only now that she was back, was she hit by the impact of what she had experienced. She left the bed and the room and started walking, she didn't care where she was heading to but she couldn't let herself fall to sleep again. Maybe she would never want to sleep ever again. Her body was shaking. She felt cold and lost.

Meanwhile in a small office full of maps Mairon and Melkor debated on the best route for a quick return to their fortress. With Cathy in their company the needed more shielded paths and a way to minimize the risk of getting revealed. Mairon wasn't amused, if they couldn't think of a better way for Cathy to travel then walking, than that was going to be a long and very dangerous journey. His master disturbed his thoughts while explaining that they also needed a way to protect and shield her so she would be safe from attacks on her mind too, the moment they stepped in their own world the Valar would be much more trouble than they were now. His servant agreed and offered to craft a ring that would bind her solidly to them. Both looked suddenly up, away from the map they were staring at. They could hear soft steps in the corridor.

Melkor opened the office door with a thought and calmly asked Cathy to enter. The moment she came in sight he was worried. She looked terrible and he didn't referee to her sleep deprived face or the fact that she didn't seem to notice that she was walking bare feet and without warm enough clothes through a much too cold place. No, he meant that her fea looked worn, shaken and kind of torn.

"Please, come in and have a seat."

He spoke slowly and calm, so he wouldn't disturb her more. Meanwhile Mairon got a blanket and made sure she wasn't cold anymore.

"What happened?"

Cathy just sat there cuddled in the blanket and searching for words to explain what happened but she couldn't find some.


	8. Chapter 8 the lake

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine besides the oc's and my own storyline everything else belongs to their rightful owners, easy to notice by the way as they get money from it and I don't!

To my lovely readers it is most likely that I will update every second or third day so don't worry if there isn't a new chap every time. It's quite hard work to write chaps this length in a language that's not your own. Maybe the quality of my writings will get a bit better if I take more time to reread them. It seems that you have to stick with what I produce as I hadn't had the chance to get a Beta for this story.

Have fun:

**Chapter 8 the lake**

Melkor watched Catherina closely she didn't look like being able to come out of her shock anytime soon. He sent for a cup of hot chocolate in hope it would help her calm down.

She gratefully accepted the cup from one of the servants and felt how some warmth returned to her fingers. It wasn't before finishing half of the liquid that she was able to start speaking.

"I don't know how but when I fell asleep, they took me away. I woke up in this large white hall with all the strange people there and I had a really hard time to get back."

It wasn't more than a whisper that came from the human in front of them but what her words implied made even Melkor shudder. He couldn't believe how close he had been to losing her again. Now where two things important, he send Mairon to create the ring for her, so she would be safe again. The second part was that he needed to know what exactly happened and if she had told his enemies where to find them. He would need to see her thoughts, but with everything that had happened in the last hours she wasn't stable enough for that.

"Catherina I need to know if you have told them anything about our location."

"No I haven't, not that I know of at least."

That answer wasn't good enough. He couldn't risk not knowing if they were already on the way to them. He gently took Catherina's face between his hands.

"I would prefer to not having to do that but I need to know what exactly happened. There are too many risks that we can't afford, so please for your own protection don't fight against my presence in your mind. I will try to be as careful as possible and it shouldn't hurt you."

Cathy had no time to answer, as she already felt the familiar feeling inside her mind. Slowly but with sickening accuracy she endured the whole adventure again. If not for the soft and calming presence of Melkor next to her she would have started crying. It was bad enough to be there once… It took a while before the spirit was satisfied with what he had seen.

He left Catherina's mind again. He was amused, even more so at the thought of how much the information that she could gather would help them. It seems that his little human had the ability to sense members of his kin even if they tried to shield themselves. He chuckled softly, his brother may have thought that was because of his soul shard that melted with her but he suspected that that was part of her own being. Also interesting was the fact that she could somehow reach the places where his fea parts were hidden, as she had done so before. He tried to remember clearly what she has told him at their first meeting. The small kid had told him that she knew he was there because he felt like the others…

Melkor knew that he would have to question her more closely and that they couldn't afford to wait longer then absolutely necessary. With every passing day the Valar could find a way to change the location of his soul shards and to improve the wards and defenses.

Cathy got tired, she feared to fall asleep again but it seemed her body didn't care. The spirit seemed to notice to because he touched her head with one hand and she felt slightly better. She knew that she wouldn't be able to fight back the sleep much longer but she wanted to never end up in such a situation again.

"While we wait, do you have any questions concerning the story's you heard about us?"

Cathy looked more closely at the spirit that had settled itself in a chair next to her.

"Yes I have lots of questions but the first is why do you seem so calm?"

Melkor raised a brow.

"I mean in all the story's you seemed to strive for a goal always trying to reach something maybe without knowing yourself were you were heading too. Even that you mostly control fire and ice it mirrored the extremes that you faced in your life. All that I can feel though is a warm calmness very much the same way as I told you fifteen years ago."

He thought about what she said.

"You shouldn't forget how much time has passed in-between all their tales. I'm capable of containing myself for some days or even millennia's."

He didn't tell her that he had wondered about that too. The most important change he had faced after escaping the cursed sea was his lack of rage. As he escaped the Valar the first time he had strived for revenge and nothing could stop him. He destroyed the trees and even took the last of their light with him, the silmaril. Now he just wanted his powers back and never to return to prison ever again. Maybe it was because he came so close to being destroyed, even Mairon was not so shattered after losing his ring to the hobbit. He had been tempted to laugh at Mairon's fate of being defeated by these ridiculous creatures but then his fate lay in the hands of a girl… Besides the official version that Mairon was banned to the void too after his defeat he just roamed middle earth unable to be more than a whisper in the shadows. But in their ignorance the Valar had forgotten that his servant was always his best spy and even though he couldn't do much he was able to listen. Mairon had found out that he was hold captive in Ulmo's prison and that there would be a human able to help him gain his powers back. Therefore Melkor had swallowed his urge to belittle his servant and that was one of the biggest changes about him.

He cared for a being besides himself, that was nearly impossible and a few ages ago he had simply chuckled about such nonsense. He had always thought him above all others and that wouldn't have changed the slightest if he still had his powers but in his current condition he had learned to appreciate what Mairon was and did for him. He had always been involved in his plans and creations and he had treated him worse like most. Mostly because he had never wanted that he felt too highly about his accomplishments, even though he always did masterly. Mairon's part was always to bundle his ideas and order them, his mind had flaw that he always got myriads of ideas and at the same time already changed them and improved them. In all his works it was Mairon's steadiness that brought things to reality and finished them in a stable and solid form. When he remembered now that the only thing that Mairon earned through his accomplishments were beatings and torture then he felt a slight shudder of regret and that was what worried him most.

Cathy wasn't satisfied with the answer she got; she knew there was more to it, much more but she also knew better than to pry. So instead she asked a new question.

"What will you do once you have your power back?"

As answer she got an intense stare that urged her to hide behind the couch but before the situation got any more uncomfortable Mairon came back. He nodded short to Melkor and went then to Cathy. He gave her a ring it was golden and relatively plain but there were three rubies enclosed in the metal. She didn't question it, she could feel that the ring held some kind of power it felt stern but also protective. The woman knew that arguing about this would help nothing and simply put the ring on her left thumb. It felt strange like being hugged and simultaneously linked to the ground as if she rushed down several floor to be reunited with the floor. She felt like truly tied her body and somehow healed and steadier, even her sleepiness lifted a bit.

"What does it do?"

"As you feel you are now tied to your body. After lifting the binding that caged you so long your fea was unsteady and not rightly connected to your body. The Valar knew that and used it to draw you away. It also shields your mind against any kind of intrusion except for ours and it will not allow your body to malfunction so you won't get ill but it doesn't make you invincible. You won't age as it doesn't allow your body to become weak but you could die from being hit by a sword and such. We will also always know where you are."

Cathy nodded and excused her for the night/morning. She fell on her bed and yes she found sleep. Nothing disturbed her and she was quite happy with that.

The following day started late for Cathy, she woke to the heavy raindrops and couldn't tell which time it was. She got up and was greeted by a soft knock on the door. It was Mary and she showed her to the bathroom again. She got fresh clothes, slightly darker, shirt and trousers were grey and her new robe nearly black. After breakfast she joined the two spirits in their office. The room was nearly empty and everywhere throughout the house were servants busy to back things and clean out the building. She was greeted by Melkor who pointed to a chair and she sat down to wait.

"Catherina we have a few things to talk over. You remember the part when my brother announced that you would be able to lead us to the places where they keep me captive?"

"Yes I do but the only places they could have revered too would be those who I reached unconscious. The problem is that I don't know how to get there. I stumbled across unexpected and I was never able to show someone the way and I tried with the kids."

"We will find a solution about that but first which of those places do you remember best?"

"The lake, there is a lake somewhere even though there isn't one on any maps of this place. Everyone believed I had a great imagination to think about those adventures…"

"What exactly did you found there?"

"I walked through the forest and got to a clearing with green grass and walked closer, the lake was dark but I found the place quite peaceful, I don't remember that I ever met another being there besides your other part. I couldn't feel anything other than you either. I was there at least for eight times and we talked a lot but there was no way how I could get you out."

She needed a break, so much had changed in the last two days and she hadn't had the time to come to terms with it. So she told them that she would take a short walk and under the warning glances of both spirits who told her not to go too far and to stay away from trouble, she left the house. Cathy explored the plateau more closely and found that it wasn't as small as she had thought. Behind the house was still a large forest and after sometime she found a small stream which she liked. She settled next to it and watched the steady flow. It calmed her and she was amused by the thought that Melkor and Mairon both seemed to dislike water. She couldn't understand that at least not with this beautiful streamlet.

"Yes, but you didn't nearly die while half of the ocean tried to quash you."

The voice spoke calmly and was inside her mind. She knew that, that came from the soul shard inside her, but she was really shocked that it spoke.

"You can speak to me?"

"Obviously and before you ask yes I was there your whole life but I couldn't speak to you because of Manwe's binding."

"Have you been there when that happened?"

"Yes, I couldn't stop it I tried but it tired me out, so much so that I slept for two years before regaining consciousness again."

"But my grandmother was still alive at the time; I thought you only pass on when your current host is dying?"

"No I can pretty much do as I please but I held to that muster so the Valar wouldn't get the idea that I was still conscious enough to cause trouble."

"So you cursed my family because you felt like that?"

"No, there is no curse it is true that my presence caused a lot of ill fate because I radiated a field of heaviness and yes darkness but much of what happened was very much their own fault."

"Would you explain that to me, please?"

"Yes Catherina I will do that for you, but only because you are by far my favorite human until now. Look, the day I fled from their wraith I was so weak that I would have died if I hadn't found some soul who could give me enough stability. I found your ancestor she was a young girl and she could sense me. In fact your sensibility for energies and magic is a family trait and one of the reasons why I remained with you. That it was my cover was just one part of it, the other part was that there always where one or two of your family members who were sensible enough so they could hear me and in a foreign world with nothing to do but hiding I was glad that I had someone to talk to."

"You spoke with them? Why did no one ever write it in their journals? It would have explained so much to me."

"I warned them not to do that because it was too dangerous you know that a lot of them were burned as witch and I couldn't risk that one of my kin found out about it. It is bad enough that they knew now that you have such improved senses. Your luck is that they believe that that is my doing and not yours or they would have hunted your family down."

"Did you spoke to my granny too?"

"No over the last century the family ability's faded away and I lived with a lot hosts who couldn't hear me. You may not believe me but I'm able to act reasonable if my life depends on it and causing your family pain made my existence difficult too. The problem was that if I couldn't speak to them then I couldn't warn them about things or sometimes they wouldn't listen. The moment I saw how strong your gift of sensing things was, I left your grandmother for you, because I hoped so much that we would be able to talk to each other."

"Why didn't you show yourself then before Manwe bound my memories?"

"You were five. I never wanted you to think that you are mad or something. I intended to wait until you were at least eleven or so before explaining to you what I was."

"How did that travel thing work? I mean Merlin and I got to this lake somehow…"

Cathy heard a soft chuckle.

"Yes that was one of the more amazing things. Besides you had the hell of an intelligent cat. I was even able to communicate with him, so he would work as your guide and help you."

"You could talk to Merlin?"

"No not talk, but he could sense me and I could send him emotions. Animals don't understand words but they understand what you feel. I very much explained to him that you were like a kitten and that he was responsible for you."

She wasn't sure if she was annoyed by the idea that her cat thought it was responsible for her or bemused that Melkor seemed to try anything to keep her at least a bit protected.

"Don't change the topic! How did the travel thing work?"

He felt amused too; it seemed that her wit returned to her with being freed.

"I can't sense my other parts. You may have already guessed that, but it seemed that the Valar had found a way to mute out any sign of them towards me. Maybe I could walk straight by one of them and wouldn't notice. With your gift of sense and your attuning to my frequencies you are able to find them."

"Wait a moment, they are in another world how could I possible sense them?"

"We are energy you studied quantum physics, tell me what is energy bound too?"

"Nothing, but I'm bound to time, space and reality how could I sense you then?"

"I'm one of fourteen powers our world is made off, even though in your world I don't have much control as we don't have consciousness here I still exist. I believe you call me evolution. The answer to your question is that my presence reaches to your world too so you can sense me. From there on it is easy, you found my presence and I opened a way for you to get there."

"Why wasn't I able to bring my friends along?"

"Two reasons, first I couldn't risk anyone to know, it was much too dangerous and second I'm very weak in this state it was difficult enough to bring just you. In fact that exhausted me so much that I lost consciousness every time and not even my other self could sense my presence in you. I only knew what you talked about with my other part when I saw your memories of it."

"So let me guess, if I'm able to find your presence in that lake then my beloved spirit friends could get us there?"

"Yes, but Cathy be careful, this part of me may like you because I lived long enough with humans but the other parts are as much as evil as the elves told you and they won't stop killing you if you have done your part."

"I know that but I don't think anything I could do would change that and I have decided that I want some fun along the way as long as I can."

As there was nothing more than silence as answer, Cathy decided to return to the house. At first she thought she had lost her way as she walked and walked but no building came in sight. By all her flaws she hadn't much trouble with orientation so she got really confused until she found Mairon waiting for her.

"Wasn't there a house? I'm quite sure that I slept in room tonight."

Mairon gave her a smirk before explaining that they removed all evidence of their existence as they were returning to their fortress. Cathy was surprised there really wasn't any kind of evidence left. No one would know that there stood a house just the day before…

"Where is Melkor I may have found something useful?"

She hadn't finished the sentence as she felt a shifting of air behind her and a soft voice asked her about what she found. She recounted parts of the talk she had and got slightly disturbed by predatory gleam that entered the spirit's eyes at the chance to retrieve one of his shards. She didn't suspect that they would start straight away. Weren't there preparations to do, precautions to take? Obviously there weren't as she found herself sitting on the floor and trying to find the presence in the lake. It didn't work. She didn't know why and the feeling of impatient that she got from them didn't help in the slightest.

What the hell is wrong here? Why doesn't it work? Calm yourself Cathy with panicking you won't achieve anything. What did her soul piece say? She needed to find his presence, the problem was that said presence stood next to her so maybe she needed to mute that feeling out so she could sense for the others. The same was true for the presence inside her and that wasn't easy to accomplish. How could she just ignore those powerful fields that surrounded her?

Her feelings were the answer. She couldn't find them with her mind; she had to feel where they need to go. With a deep breathe she remembered her granny and her house and all the fun she had there. Yes, there they were nice lovely feelings that had nothing to do with Melkor and then she remembered Merlin. Cathy had to smile a bit at the thoughts of her amazing companion and how he led her safely to all their adventures. From the current state of happiness and curiosity she moved forward looking for a feeling that was calm, old and heavy. The feeling that she was so familiar with and that she liked. Softly she felt a response inside her and next to her but there were others. Some were so far away but one she could feel clearly. There it was, she moved forward.

Yavanna's garden, Melkor sighed he had known that the places would be dangerous but hadn't thought that a spirit like the Lady of growth and life would freely agree to store a spirit like his so close to her sacred land. He couldn't feel anything in the closer radius. Everything seemed calm and peacefully like their mistress. Cathy walked forward; she had seen the dark blue that she remembered from her past. Yes, there it was calm and dark as always. She reached the lakeside and kneeled down. Without thinking twice she put her arms in the cold water and reached out for the being that she knew had to be there.

She wasn't disappointed. A presence searched its way to her mind and greeted her. She was overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness and she felt a bit guilty for never coming back. It took a while for both of them to catch up on what had happened and it seemed that the spirit absorbed the information like he was dying on boredom which was most likely true. As they reached the part where she spoke to Manwe, she felt amusement coming from the presence but caution too. It let her know that they had to hurry. The tower of Manwe wasn't too far off from this place and they would send their army after them. They should have been already warned of their presence because of the disturbance of their arrival.

Suddenly she felt another presence in her mind; she knew that this was the part of Melkor who traveled with her. They met and Cathy was caught in the middle of an overflow on information. Her brain couldn't take it anymore and after witnessing the exchange of attackers that arrived and what kind of wards bound the spirit to the surface, she just passed out.


	9. Chapter 9 awaking

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the rightful owners, only my oc's and the mad storyline came from me, I don't earn anything with it.

Hello my dear readers thx for the first review to this story!

To answer the question: I don't know yet if there should be love involved, I mean why would a great timeless power like Morgoth fall in love with a human. But hey I guess you could tell me what you want. Give me feedback and what get the most votes will happen…. Yes I think I like the idea…

So please post a short statement of what you would prefer.

But now let's see what happens next:

**Chapter 9 awaking**

Melkor felt how Cathy's consciousness slipped away. He had just enough time to gain information about the wards and traps that shielded his other part away from him before the connection broke. The spirit had to hurry; he knew that his brother had already sent his lackeys on their way to catch him again but not this time…

Mairon prepared for battle, it was clear that they wouldn't flee with their goal being so close. He hated the situation all the plans for a save and silent retreat to their fortress had been in vain but as always tended his master to simply change things how he liked. While Melkor went closer to the lake, parting the water and starting to work through the wards, Mairon looked for Cathy. The woman had a shock but it wasn't bad enough to worry, they just needed to store her safely away from the attacker until they could flee this place. After placing shields and glamour around the unconscious body, he could feel them approaching. That would be a close call.

Eonwe led the small army against Morgoth. He wished he could have gone alone without losing so much time while waiting for his fellow Maia spirits. He feared more that they would miss them, than the possibility of being defeated from the fallen Valar. What once were their greatest enemies was now nothing more than an old toothless snake that couldn't do more than curse him.

The five Maia spirits reached the lake and saw the traitors but no trace of the human. Maybe they hadn't been stupid enough to bring her with them. Sauron approached them ready to fight and they simply smiled at him as if the vile spirit had any noticeable power left. He was weak and would be caught again and this time there wouldn't be any mercy for them. Eonwe thought it was quite overdue that they were punished harshly how many pain could have been spared if they hadn't listened to Morgoths pleading voice after being imprisoned the first time. The spirit shoved the thoughts away, they would gain nothing from just looking at them and the past couldn't be changed anyway.

Mairon felt them come closer. They had no physical appearance but he would sense them anywhere. He had just enough time to raise a hasty shield before the attack hit them with full force. It didn't help, after a few seconds all resistance crumbled under the united force of the five spirits. Mairon felt his skin burn as he was knocked down from the impact. Slowly his weak body died and he could feel the satisfaction coming from the others as they saw his pain.

Suddenly there was an explosion. It was gigantic and destroyed anything inside a three miles radius. Eonwe could only flee barely alive. He lost one of his companions and the others were in much the same state as them.

Mairon laughed as much as that was possible as tiny shadow of a spirit, which used its last remaining powers to shield a tiny human from the explosion. Melkor had been reunited with his other soul part and unexpected things happened. While he had concentrated on breaking the wards he was aware of the arrival of that fools and he was aware of Eonwes thoughts, yes he had grown weak but never had they been able to understand that he knew any of their thoughts as he had a part in all their arts and beings. For the first time in his existence it truly hurt him to be misunderstood again, before he had only laughed at them and used their ignorance against them. This time it just made him angry, angry that they had never tried to understand him that they had never cared what he was.

It hadn't mattered to him before as he just assumed they were stupid but now he knew better, they simply didn't care. How else could it be that an unimportant human knew more about him and understood him better than his own brother? Fueled by the sadness and anger of his other part that was imprisoned in the lake, he released a gigantic shock wave and easily destroyed the five spirits. It did much for his ego to no longer be so weak. He even was stronger now than he had been the day they had cut him to pieces. What had caused this change? Unable to explain it or make sense out of the situation he just gave into the glee of being one step closer to his goal.

The old spirit looked for Cathy and his servant and found them close by. Mairon had been robbed of his body again but the girl wasn't injured. He couldn't explain where it came from but he felt something that he couldn't remember to had ever since the time before the atmosphere of the planet had been stabilized. He knew how to help them. Not once did he question why he cared about how to help them, he simply did. Maybe it was because the two beings at least understood him partly and maybe it was even a part of sentiment. Mairon was on his side since the time they had sung the great melody of their father. It didn't matter if it was just the millennia's of solitude and loneliness which had made him finally soft. He decided that he wouldn't leave his lieutenant behind.

He reached out for Mairon and with one blink of remembering how he had been before Arda in the timeless halls there was another ripple in the net that held the planet together and then there he was, the completely restored spirit of Mairon. As terrible beautiful and powerful as the spirit had been as he still was a member of Aule's house. Melkor was astounded how had he regained his ability of healing? He lifted Cathy up from the floor and took her with him while opening another rift in the walls of reality, to finally get away from their enemies realm.

He needed to send an angry lash at Mairon to get the being to move. It seemed that he was completely lost in amazement of being himself once more. All three left and Melkor focused on deleting every trace they might have left. Using the planned escape routes, they traveled far and undetectable before finding a nearly safe place to give Cathy the break she needed to wake up again.

She felt good and relaxed and opened her eyes. She lay on soft green grass and could feel "her" spirits not far off. Carefully sitting up, she was puzzled that she hadn't even had the slightest headache. In fact she had never felt so good in her live.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Her whole being was in turmoil and it took a while to calm enough to hear the soft voice in her mind.

"Don't worry, everything is fine. While we have been knocked out he could regain his soul part. It just happened something unexpected."

"What happened?"

"I don't know either but what I can sense is that he got much more powerful than it should have been possible."

"What do you mean, how?"

"I mean that even there are still parts of my fea out there, which are still imprisoned, my main Soul part had gained more power than he had before the Valar shattered us to pieces."

"Wow but how can you become more powerful than you have been?"

"Not more powerful than I had ever been just more than the state I was in that day. My powers had faded since I came to Arda so it's still a long way to what I could be."

"What about the other Valar, are they still as powerful as they have once been?"

"No but they would never tell anyone, we all have lost lots of what we once were."

"So had your loss something to do with you turning evil as the elves guess?"

"No at least not only, because if then there wouldn't be a reason that the others have suffered too. It all started with melting so much of our powers together to create the planet, all of our powers we used for it are bound inside Arda and that's the reason they couldn't throw me out or why we lose so much of our powers if we head to your world, we are just so deeply anchored to our creation."

"Hmh but if you created the planet out of your own being, why did you destroy so much of it, wouldn't that hurt yourself?"

"Maybe."

Silence, it seemed that her inner spirit friend was not interested to say more, therefore she mustered the others. Mairon was a glowing ball of energy it was so blinding that she couldn't look directly at him as she had no sunglasses with her. Melkor still wore a body that was tall and lithe with black hair but everything about him had changed too. He felt more present as if someone had put away all the dirty windows and bars that had shut his light out. What Cathy didn't know was that she had changed too. Melkor smiled, it had taken some time to manifest but with entering his own world it seemed that the little human had grown. As if some gravity had been lifted and she wasn't so heavy anymore. Her eyes shone with a light that one could normally only see with the elven kin and her hair had turned back to its original color a dark brown.

"Catherina do you feel well enough for a long journey? As we plan no more breaks until we reach the safety of our fortress I hope you are rested."

She nodded; there was no way that she would get any better than this, so they could just go. It was then that she noticed another change in her companions. As Mairon changed his appearance back to how he had looked before, there was a difference. In her world they had seemed to be a body, now they were just wearing it. It wasn't so solid anymore or better phrased not so tight.

The party walked under a constant dim light. The sky was always clouded and nearly black. She suspected that they tried to keep spies away, but it was kind of depressing and with the constant silence not helping her mood she started brooding. With her thoughts running from why her to how did I even get in this mess, she never noticed how long she walked or how the environment changed more than once.

To keep the enemy off their tracks, Melkor had opened the rift further away to his homeland, as he suspected Manwe to have his soldiers watching anything in close range. He shielded them with shadows and called the clouds to put the whole land into twilight. It worked fine and they came better forward than he had suspected, especially as Cathy luckily missed some more nerve-wracking traits. The woman didn't complain, she was brooding and quite lost in her thoughts yes but she had accomplished to not nerve him. It was an surprising accomplishment as normally he would have started to hate people after an hour and to loath them after a day. Normally he would fight against his temper to not kill them immediately and nothing would stop his anger to lash out after they had lost their usefulness. But Catherina was different he couldn't tell if that was because of the influence his soul piece had on her or if it was part of her own character but she didn't show fear, uneasiness yes but no fear and also no complaining.

They could have walked for ages, years, months or just an hour, Cathy couldn't tell. She knew that whatever Mairon and Melkor did to cloak them had the side effect that she couldn't tell how much time had passed or where they were. If she didn't pay close attention to her surroundings she would even have overlooked that the desert slowly changed so that there were mountains now. She just didn't care. In fact she had other troubles like realizing, truly realizing that she was helpless. As long as she had been in her own world there was still that tiny part of her that said that everything was just a lie or a dream but now… Also it didn't help her confidence that the two spirits showed so much more of how powerful and different they were. Cathy just couldn't lie to herself any longer. There was no way out. She would help them and then she would be killed, when the last of Melkor's parts was found.

Wolves howled in the distance, it was the first time that Cathy got out of her detachment. Just in time to see something like glee in Melkor's eyes. She had the feeling that they were already close to their destination. She was right, both spirits felt smug at how easily they had outmaneuvered all off their enemies spies and troops. The howling announced the arrival of their border guards.

* * *

Sorry for the short chap I'm so not motivated at the moment but maybe if someone would review?


	10. Chapter 10 the fortress

Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything besides my oc's and the madness behind the storyline belongs to the rightful owners and I don't earn anything with it.

Welcome to another chapter, sorry that it took so long for the new update but I got too confused with doing two stories at the same time and decided to finish the other one first. Then I was caught up in work… I'm back now and will try to update regularly by the way thank you very much for the reviews. To Minx: Yes it seems that my chars are all a bit mad… maybe that's because of my own madness. ^^

#

**Chapter 10: the fortress**

Mairon told her in a sharp tone to stay hidden before he covered her under his own cloak. It was out of question that all of their creatures followed their orders without thinking but they would love to taste her soft flesh and maybe wouldn't be able to resist the luring of her sent. They were kept starving so they would hunt down everything that sneaked around their borders mercilessly and there was no saying how that would end for their little human. He didn't know when he had started to count her as part of their group rather than an annoying burden they dragged along but he didn't think long about that topic as the leader of the southern pack greeted them.

Cathy was irritated, there were wolves but not normal ones, they were huge. Their eyes glowed red in the dark shadowed place and they looked mad with hunger. She swallowed and wrapped the cloak tighter around herself and made sure that not even a strand of her hair looked out under the hood. She observed the meeting and was irritated with how cruel Melkor handled his followers. She knew that it would be that way but she couldn't find sense behind that kind of treatment.

_They would betray me within the glimpse of an eye if they wouldn't fear me anymore._

That's understandable; just look how poorly you treat them. How would they ever trust in someone's leadership if the experience nothing but pain and despair. I just don't understand why you hate us so much…

_I don't hate you._

Maybe but you hate everyone else.

_Do you wish to change how I am?_

No I just don't understand it.

_Hmh._

He didn't feel like explaining to her that he mostly found that they were useful tools but nothing more. Nor that he couldn't care less about the so called children of Illuvatar they were ridiculous, weak and unimportant. Why should he bother himself with something like that? What the spirit didn't know was how far Cathy's skill of empathy reached and that she could sense his feelings towards that matter. Since the moment she discovered the very much lively and present part of Melkors soul inside her she had started to search for it and paid close attention to all feelings she could sense from it.

Melkor?

…

You know that we are born from and into your fields? We are as much your children and your responsibility as we are Illuvatar's.

_Cathy._

No, I mean it. You created this world from your own fea and we are very much made of the elements this world had been created of, ourselves. To hit us is the same like hurting a part of yourself.

Again there was nothing but silence between them.

The wolves reported about turbulences at the borders. They had eaten some elves and humans which dared to show up to closely. There had also been some eagles circling above them but they hadn't been able to find anything. Melkor was grateful that he had thought of organizing underground tunnels for increasing secrecy. It was also questionable if the spirit folk would dare to show up on his borders as unprepared as they had been at the lake. Probably not, they surely had learned their lesson of underestimating him. A smirk crossed his face, yes that had been a glorious victory. Fools. He would reclaim his power and then they would pay for all the time they had kept him imprisoned.

Where did this wish for revenge come from? He hadn't had that before… It took a while before he discovered that it belonged to the recently absorbed part of him. He took some time to think about it, he had always been the one to seek freedom and it didn't sit well with him that he was now claimed by a feeling like it had power over him. Had it been like this before? Was he nothing more than a fool reacting to impulses instead of creating his own path? He was reminded of the situation in Illuvatars halls… he had wanted power to create his own version of life and had been shocked and disappointed with not getting it. Until that moment when his father told him that it was only his part to create life and that Melkor would see in the end that he couldn't rebel against his laws that he had lost trust and faith in their father. He had believed that he understood Illuvatar the best of all his children and he had been excited about the chance of trying out his powers but then… Maybe he was jealous that it wasn't him who had created the children. He had been denied of this ability as he had been denied the title of being lord of Arda…

Since that time he had reacted to that impulse with hatred and loathing, but had he forgot that his only wish had been to live his own life? Maybe… but not anymore he hadn't the time or the power to start a war yet again. He wouldn't be a slave to no one, the least of all to some useless feelings, which would cause him to lose his accomplishments again. With a decision made, the feelings were gone as fast as they had approached him. He felt lighter and much more relaxed… it was time to focus on the things he truly wanted and at first it was to get back to the fortress as a safe place.

Cathy's feelings were chaotic she was somewhere between alienated and scared mixed with the forceful feeling of loneliness and being trapped. She couldn't change anything about her situation and she wished for some kind of hold and closeness, while wandering through a strange world with strange people. From her inner companion came nothing but silence and that didn't help her mood. She focused on Mairon and noticed how he stood a few steps in front of her, trying to cloak her from the sight of the wolves while Melkor finished his questioning and sent his servants/slaves on to finish new tasks. Cathy was at a loss why did people always forget that honey catches flies much more efficiently than cruelness? Yes they were feared but at the same time they had to fear their people too, what if they betrayed them?... And Melkor's only answer to that problem seemed to be even more cruelness. She shook her head and waited until the howling became quieter and more distanced before carefully following Mairon's lead.

Then they walked again and again got Cathy caught in shadows following behind the spirits to an unknown destiny. Then finally they reached their destination, she knew it because of the changing feeling it was like diving underneath water. The environment was dominated by a lack of life. Everything seemed to be stones and mountains; there weren't trees or animals just naked soil and rocks. She kept close to Mairon in hope of not getting lost in the labyrinth of cliffs and mountains while they walked in between the black stones. Then she saw it a black volcano, the air was thick with ash and smoke and she had tears in her eyes from the biting air. There was a gate made of black metal shielded so no one would find it easily and they passed by the inner guard posts. Again the small human made sure to be perfectly cloaked underneath the thin layer of cloth, which didn't feel like that much of a protection anymore. On the last few steps they passed by some kind of sculptures and Cathy shivered at the feeling of being scanned by those empty holes that served the creatures as eyes.

With a terrible scratching sound the gates opened and she had the feeling of attending her own funeral. Somehow she felt claustrophobic as she walked inside the dark corridor and sensed how the gate closed on its own accord behind her. Everything was dark and Mairon took the small human by the hand, his grip wasn't cruel or forceful just a steady support leading her downstairs inside their fortress and far beneath the surface. She knew that the spirits had no problem with darkness and she guessed that most of their creatures didn't either. Blackness wasn't the only thing Cathy had to fight with. She followed Mairon's guide warily while listening to the unsettling sounds in the dark. It sounded like hammering on metal and there where all kind of screams and gurgling noises. It took a while until she found out that those noises seemed to be a foreign language… The worst part besides all the shifting and moving of things that where invisible to her, where the screams and sounds of agony. She knew that there where beings tortured at the moment and she started shivering.

Mairon felt that the emotions from their guest started to shift from uneasiness to panic but couldn't do more than let his presence become a soft and soothing feeling that would lull her into calmness. It worked well enough until they came to the more lit parts of their fortress after leaving the outer parts. Piles of bones and rotting corpses… Cathy wished the light would go away again. The smell became unbearable and with every cracking sound caused by her feet seeking their way across the bones she fought against sickness. She wished she could delete all that impressions from her mind but it wouldn't work and her guide wasn't the only one who knew that she was falling into shock and stupor. The part of Melkor which shared her body knew the signs to and wrapped his presence around his charge. Cathy was claimed by calmness and an empty feeling but she followed steady behind Mairon. The ancient being couldn't understand what had happened but the small being shifted from near panic to detachment and the only thing he could sense from her at the moment was neutrality. He led her to the rooms which had been ordered to be prepared for her stay; they held all kind of luxury which wouldn't be found anywhere else in their realm… His master had also made sure that they were shut away from all other parts and that no one and nothing would reach her except on their order.

Cathy was led to a door, it didn't look great or something but it lacked the cruel feeling which was part of everything else inside this horror. She couldn't really process what was going on, she just felt like caught inside fog or underneath water but she didn't care. Mairon opened the door and carefully led her inside, her servants would catch up with her soon to tend to her needs, so he locked the door behind her and left to finish his own tasks. Cathy noticed just one thing, there was light… Contrary to the rest of the place, which slept in darkness, there where crystals which produced a warm but bright light for her. She was nearly blinded after coming out of the unforgiving dark but never cared she just went to the next wall to lean on it for support. Barely noticing that Mairon had left and the door was locked she appreciated the time she had alone and used it to break down. Shaken be enormous waves of panic and empathy for all the poor beings which were imprisoned and tortured, she felt how a tear rolled across her cheek and the first one was followed by many more.

Her break down wasn't hysteric or loud, she didn't scream or threw things around her but that made it just worse. Melkor felt how his grip on her feelings was pushed away by the force of raw emotion; he had never known such an all-consuming power that would be able to drag him down along with Cathy. It was pain, pure pain and it wasn't directed somewhere. If it had been directed in hate towards his main soul shard it would have made the situation bearable but it wasn't. Cathy didn't hate him for what he was doing she just felt the pain he inflicted on others like it was done to her. It made her heart racing and she couldn't really breathe anymore. Tears were flowing down but they couldn't relieve the enormous amount on pain enough. He felt how her body slipped down while leaning against the wall. She shivered and cried but the pain grew steadily. It was empathy, the feeling on what others suffered through, remorse and the wish to change their fate, to even take the pain in their place, the all-consuming wish to spare them their fate, to help, to make things better. There was regret of being a part of their suffering, to be responsible. It was the worst stab he could feel, her pain of being responsible for the suffering of others, it was opposite of how her being was, the opposite of her agenda, to live and let live and to be a help rather than a burden.

The ancient soul shard inside Cathy was trapped; he couldn't retreat or hide away from her pain. What she felt he was forced to feel too and in the same amount. He was shocked, he had never endured something like that ever before and he begged for it to stop. It felt like the tiny last bit of his being was shredded and he knew at that moment that it was the same feeling which Cathy endured, the feeling of being ripped apart. He felt regret, it wasn't his wish to make her suffer, he needed her and he liked her so it caused him pain to feel her soul being hurt to that amount, not that he would ever admit how much relief he felt about her slipping to unconsciousness before any lasting damage was done to her. No he told himself that he was just glad that his own suffering had ended… before sinking in blissful darkness too.

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;) please review


	11. Chapter 11 new circumstances

Disclaimer: Nothing mine, except for oc's and the mad storyline everything else belongs to its right owners and no I don't earn anything with it…

Thx very much to LadyAnnatar for the reviews :) its helping my motivation, I'm just putting this chapter online and going back to write the next one.

Hi my dears welcome back to some more creepy stuff, today there will be some more exploring and (you will find out…) so let's get started on this.

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**Chapter 11 "new circumstances"**

Voices, light and hectic… they seemed concerned and at a loss on what to do… they even seemed scared but why? Where was she, why wasn't she in her flat… what had happened… Cathy opened her eyes; she lay in a dimmed room she had never seen before. It seemed that the voices came from behind the right wall, there was a door too but she hadn't the heart to think about it at the moment. The bed she found herself in was huge and she was snuggled in a silk blanket. The room was colored in warm dark red and she felt warm and comfortable so much so that her memories of what had happened took a while to reclaim her. Like a swarm of bees she felt her memories buzzing at the edge of her mind, unable to catch them. She sat up and took a closer look on her surroundings, she didn't feel much except for being comfortable but the moment passed by and slowly her mind figured out where she had to be… she was at Melkor's head base and with that she remembered what happened…

Pain. Screams. Darkness.

Melkor sighed as she tensed again.

_Cathy._

The voice of her inner companion was soft and tried to comfort her, to prevent her from going back into the pain again. She allowed herself to be comforted and tried to come to terms with the situation. Cathy took deep breaths and tried to get her analytic and pragmatic side to work. She wasn't illusionistic enough to believe that she would be able to change anything, she could only decide if she would allow the situation to destroy her or not. Not that it would matter in the end… she would finish her task and then they would kill her. She felt a wave of regret coming from Melkor.

_I don't wish for you to be killed but it's most likely that there won't be anything to prevent that fate._

I know.

Their conversation was disrupted with a soft knock on the door. A young woman entered maybe around twenty or such, Cathy was irritated again with how hushed and scared the being behaved in front of her. The servant bowed to her waiting for orders but couldn't hide the shiver of her body. What did they believe who she was? Why were they so scared? Cathy felt uncomfortable…

_They have order to serve you, tend to your needs. Maybe you ask for something to eat, or some explanations on our situation or you could take a bath or something else…_

Cathy shoved his suggestions aside and got out of the bed. First things first, she needed to talk to them all.

"What's your name?"

"Iminet, my lady."

"Iminet is there a room here, where we could talk comfortably?"

"Yes, next to your sleeping chamber is a room with chairs and bookshelves it should suffice."

"Fine, then let's meet there I need to talk to all of you."

"Yes, my lady, do you wish to get some new clothes first?"

"Yes that would be nice."

Iminet was surprised, the young lady seemed friendly and not as stuck up as all the other "royals" she had to serve. This was rapidly becoming the best day in her life; she had already been absolutely delighted as she had been told that her next master would be in fact a mistress and that she most likely wouldn't have to go through the "special services" for some time… She had been so nervous to make everything right so that the lady would keep her and she could flee the disgusting creatures and their desires for a while. Then she had met the other servants and knew immediately that their master had chosen just the most loyal, competent and friendly servants for that woman and she had been at a loss on why their new mistress was so important. The rooms, which were newly created just for this woman, were more homely than she had seen anything in her life before and her own quarters which were not far off, were simple but also lacked the dark, lingering presence which the rest of the place was soaked in. On top of all the lady seemed nice and lacked the cruelness she had learned to fear… Iminent just prayed that she wouldn't wake up from this dream.

Cathy watched how Iminent left to catch some robes for her and came back soon with red garments. She took the robes from the woman and declined her servants help with the clothing and told her to gather the others instead and wait in the room. With a quick thought she added the wish for some food and drinks for all of them and with a nod the completely confused maiden was on her way.

_Stop spoiling them._

Why? They will benefit much from gathering some weight.

_Cathy that are servants…_

Yes. They work to help you and the healthier they are the better they will be able to accomplish their tasks and everyone deserves some happiness in their lives.

_Cathy if you don't stop with that nonsense t…_

Than what? Listen and listen well I won't live the last bit of time, which I have left, in despair and I won't be surrounded with pain and desperation and now cope with it.

She felt hot pain and closed her eyes to steady her breath. It felt like an enormous weight tried to squash her and she fought for air. In her mind she felt how Melkor's presence became more noticeable and threatening, she tried to draw back from him to keep the distance but she had no chance. Then it was like he stood in front of her, a mirror image of how the main part of Melkor looked at the moment.

_Don't dare talking to me in that way or I will have to change the ways on how I treat you. Don't forget who I am._

Cathy shivered in fright as every word was clear and loud without any distance to herself.

You are right, I'm sorry.

_This time I will forgive you because I know how lost you feel and that you need time to adjust but never talk to me in that way again, understood?_

Yes.

_Now you will reduce your kindness to a reasonable level or you won't be able to fight off the pleadings for help you will get from them. You aren't responsible for them…_

Fine I will try to be reasonable after this meal because I need to get to know them and a welcoming feast is a good way to accomplish that.

_Cathy… fine but be careful._

I will.

With that, she left her bedroom and joined five people in what she named her living room. Iminet was the youngest of the ones who would help her and she found out that the other women had served a lot of the nobles in Melkor's court and she listened to all kinds of stories and gossip of all the things that were going on around here. She learned from them more about the inner structures and workings than she thought possible and even her inner companion listened concentrated and was amazed about the new insights on all those fools which believed themselves important.

Melkor?

_Cathy?_

Why do you have a court? I mean you don't like people at all and you think them all as nuisance and slaves but why do you bother to entertain them with such hilarious illusion?

He thought about it but had no answer… he had wanted to rule Arda and created this mock society as opposition to his brothers island but he loathed every single of those creatures which believed themselves to be important or in his grace.

_I had longed for the opportunity to rule the world and it seemed to be part of such a dream but you are right I believe them to be absolutely useless, especially if they believe themselves to be of any worth to me…_

Again I wonder why you hate us so much.

_Cathy we already discussed this._

Yes and I'm still without answer.

_Because I wanted to rule this world and was denied that opportunity and you are so small and useless in comparison to our kin._

She could hear the jealousy which the being held against his brother but that didn't help against the fact that his remarks stung. Useless…

She focused on the conversation around her. Iminet had a nice light laugh, it had taken a while until the woman had felt save enough to come out of her shell but after Cathy had made clear that she really wanted them to relax and that she wouldn't jump on them from behind, the atmosphere had become much more joyful. After they had eaten enough they showed her around the rooms which were hers during her stay. Cathy was amazed and very happy but for other reasons then the luxury that she was bathed in. Yes she was surrounded with silk and marble and the door handles were made of gold but that wasn't what took her breath away. It was more the thoughtful things which showed her how much they cared for her, for whatever reasons…

Melkor reminded her of the fact, that there was nothing done for her, out of kindness but she didn't believe him. To keep her happy and quiet the luxury would have been enough but there was so much more. She had a small room that held bookshelves and she was amazed to find a few books in her own language. She pointed that out to her inner friend and got him confused too. Melkor knew of no reason why they would care to let her read things and the more as lot of books were found in both languages hers and theirs. It told him that she was meant to learn their language, which got him curious because why would they teach her if she would be killed anyway. It made him think if there could be other plans for her and if that was for the better or the worse. A painless and fast death had been the thing he had hoped for her… it was the best he could think off, that she could accomplish. If she fulfilled her duties thoroughly then maybe they would have mercy with her and kill her fast instead of some cruel torture.

_Cathy be careful, whatever they offer you it will only lead to pain and despair._

Why would they bother themselves with all of it? I don't have much of a choice in helping them, so why are they doing all of this for me?

_I don't know. It's what scares me, as I should be able to predict what my other part is doing but in fact I can't. Lots of the things that have happened don't make much sense to me._

He didn't know why he told her anything of that but it felt good to talk about his concerns to someone… It had taken him more than fifty hosts to get used to talking about such things but once he had started, he had enjoyed their company more than he had thought possible.

You mean, more than just my rooms… What else was off?

_Hmh, for example, the fact that he saved us, is very odd. I mean the moment at the lake when we were unconscious and Mairon lay there destroyed. Melkor had regained more than just his other part from the lake, he was more powerful now than at the day he was ripped apart but he didn't flee like normally he saved us and Mairon. That's not what he should have done._

Why?

_I don't know and I don't understand it, that's why you have to be careful it's most likely that I won't be able to protect you._

Thank you.

_What?_

You try to protect me. Thank you.

_Cathy I'm protecting myself… but you are welcome._

She continued with her exploring and looked in wonderment at the beautiful crafted lamps that bathed the rooms in a warm light just for her. She felt really happy and Melkor couldn't help but feel soothed too. He hated that connection. Never before had he shared such closeness with one of his hosts. He thought it was because of her imprisonment that her fea was now awake and lively and explored its possibilities more than all the others. In fact he had been fascinated that she was able to guess his feelings and that her fea was strong enough that he couldn't retreat from it. If she would have had more control over it than she would be able to make his existence like hell, she could even threw him out of her place. He hoped that this wouldn't happen. Cathy smiled and sent him comforting feelings.

I like you too Melkor and no I don't think I will throw you out.

Melkor shivered she had guessed his thoughts again. Then he gave into her soothing feelings and felt somewhat comforted that she liked him and wouldn't fight him. After that moment of relaxing he felt a wave of bubbly happiness which reminded him of five year old Cathy and concentrated on the outside. What has she found now?

There was a window… she could see the stars in the night sky, it was a tiny space in the roof and most likely an illusion, she was so far beneath the surface even with a shaft reaching down to her rooms how would she see the stars? It didn't matter. It just mattered that she was able to see them and tomorrow she would see daylight and maybe even the sun. A wide happy smile graced the woman's face… who would have thought that she could be so grateful for something so banal like seeing the stars. She just was. It was so kind from her spirits to do such a thing for her. It was impossible for her to reach the roof and the shaft so she couldn't flee but she could see the light and wasn't so detached from how much time passed on the outside of this unreal world. She was really really happy. Melkor was puzzled, that was a thoughtful gift and would make her stay more comfortable than all the other things… but why? Why, would his other part do such a thing? Yes, he wanted her happy and relaxed so she would freely help them but that was more than just keeping her happy. That was kind.

He and kind… without gaining more than he already got. What just happened with him?


End file.
